Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chongyun came from a family of exorcists in Liyue. He was very open about that, proud of his lineage. All the knowledge of conquering evil was passed down for many generations, allowing Chongyun to be very knowledgeable in the art of exorcism, even at the age of 17. He was honored to be a part of such an esteemed and necessary group of people. 

Stories of past missions and achievements of his ancestors were told to Chongyun from a very young age. Not just that, but the details of all the evil they expelled from the world. Everything from horrifying and dangerous creatures, to ones that would seem as no threat at all to the untrained eye. Such things shouldn’t be allowed to exist if they hurt people. That’s what sparked Chongyun’s desire to become an exorcist: to rid the world of all evil. He was going to be the greatest exorcist in all of Liyue, and he made sure this was known amongst his family. 

Training started when Chongyun was still a child, but that was upon his own request. The thaumaturgy paired with martial arts that he’d seen his parents do was incredible, and he yearned to learn it for himself. He practically begged to be trained for months until his parents gave in. 

From the moment Chongyun picked up a sword and began practicing, he knew it was what he was meant to do. 

The young exorcist's parents told him he was meant for great things, especially with his pure-yang spirit. His mere presence drove away evil, an ability many exorcists would desire to have. Yet Chongyun still insisted on training as hard as he possibly could.

 If he ever wanted to achieve his goals, that’s what he needed to do. Ambition was a powerful thing, but it took determination to reach greatness. 

Years passed, and Chongyun began to take his training into his own hands, especially as his parents became more busy with their own work. He perfected all that he learned, and did research in hopes to learn more. More spells to cast away even the most powerful of evil beasts. More martial arts to fight such creatures if necessary. Chongyun even took the liberty to make his own moves. 

 As well as that, the young exorcist did all he possibly could to suppress his yang-energy. It would get in the way of his training and work; the impulses and irrational decisions. While that could be suppressed, the positive energy’s ability to drive away evil could not. 

Chongyun began working as a professional exorcist as soon as he could. He had to do little work because of his constitution, but remained vigilant. Chongyun went to great lengths in hope to perform a true exorcism, rather than just show up. Alas, his efforts always seemed to prove futile, but that wouldn’t stop him. 

Chongyun’s less than standard means of exorcism lead to bad reactions and skepticism in a select few clients. They often did not believe anything had been done, and would even refuse to pay. Chongyun was one to reject too large of payments for the little work he had to do. In fact, he was fully willing to work for nothing. He knew that he did what he had to, despite the lack of effort. 

This led to more than a few issues with Chongyun’s parents however.

The teen was sitting in his room, working on an illustration in the Field Guide to Demons and Beasts. His work was a bit abstract, but he hoped it got the point across along with the detailed explanation of the evil spirit. Most of the information Chongyun got on evil spirits came from those who hired him, and he just filled in the blanks. 

The sun had long since set, and only a dimly lit lantern illuminated Chongyun’s room so he could see what he was doing. He worked a particularly long job that day, all for the small hope that something would appear for him to exorcise. Now just came the aftermath of documenting his findings for future reference. He drew careful lines to create the humanoid creature Chongyun thought the evil spirit to be. 

That’s when he heard the sound of his mothers voice from the kitchen. She must've gotten back from work. 

Standing up and closing the book he was writing in, Chongyun left his room and walked down the hall to the other room. The room in question was also dimly lit, as Chongyun preferred to keep it that way when he was home alone. It kept the house cooler, therefore making his yang-energy easier to stifle. 

Once in the kitchen, Chongyun was met with his parents' gazes. “Mother, father,” He greeted, “it’s good to see you made it back safely from your expedition.” They were back a bit later than expected, the teen noted. It was likely just more difficult than they anticipated. The adults were experienced exorcists, and he had the utmost faith in them. 

They were standing in the middle of the kitchen, Chongyun’s father leaning against the counter, and his mother a few feet away from him, arms crossed against her chest. Chongyun meanwhile was just outside of the hall that led to his bedroom. 

“Yes,” Chongyun’s father stated, then looked at his wife. They communicated something through their gaze; something Chongyun couldn’t place based on their body language or expressions alone. “Your mother and I would like to talk to you about something important.” 

Now a bit worried, Chongyun contemplated if he had done anything wrong. “I see,” was all he said in reply. 

“We’ll get right to the point,” the young exorcist's mother started. “On our way home, your father and I overheard something about you and your methods of work. We know your yang-energy makes your means of exorcism different from ours, but based on what he heard… well. You need to step up Chongyun.” 

This puzzled the teen. Sure, there were many skeptics of his work, but surely he was expelling the evil spirits just fine. “I don’t seem to understand, all my exorcisms have been successful,” Chongyun offered. 

It was his fathers turn to speak, “Yes we know that, but you told us you’d be able to get your yang-energy under wraps and start properly exorcising evil spirits.” He paused for a moment, “your reputation as well as our own is dwindling because of this.” 

More confusion washed over the teen. While he wasn’t exactly fond of his own methods in work, he had a very good reputation in Liyue. Was there an issue he wasn’t aware of? “I know father, I’m still working on suppressing my pure-yang spirit. Although, the worst response I tend to get from my efforts is skepticism as far as I’m aware.” 

The older man grimaced, “While that may be true, we don’t want our son to be known the way you are. ‘A heart of clear water, and a face of ice?’ That’s not the reputation we’re supposed to have as exorcists, Chongyun.” 

Before he was able to answer, Chongyun’s mother chimed in affirmative, but not aggressive, “Even if you can’t truly exorcise things the normal way, try to at least make it seem like you’ve done something more than just be there.” 

“I don’t want to get credit for things I’m not doing.” Chongyun stated, sure of himself. It was the same with payment. If all Chongyun did was enter someone's home, then that’s all he did. 

“Well, you’re exorcising evil spirits, you should make it look like you are,” Chongyun’s mother criticized. The young exorcist faltered at that, and his mom didn’t fail to notice. “Listen Chongyun, we know you want to be an exorcist. You were built to go into such a field. But, until you can change things, we’re going to have to suspend you from work.” 

That made Chongyun freeze, which was a rare occurrence due to his natural warmth. He couldn’t just stop being an exorcist. Even if it was for a short time. It was what he was meant to do, and what he needed to continue doing if he wanted to achieve any of his goals. His parents couldn’t just stop that, surely. 

In a mix between disbelief and fear, Chongyun turned to his father. Desperate for some kind of punchline to this cruel joke, but alas, it never came. All that he got from his father was the same look on his mothers face. It wasn’t a pleasant look by any means. It was one of disappointment, sternness, and pity. 

Not wanting to make this situation any worse, Chongyun gave in. “I understand.” 

And like that, he turned and walked back to his room. 

When Chongyun sat on his bed, he felt like crying. If he wasn’t a master of repressing his emotions after years of dealing with his yang-energy, he probably would have. To be the best exorcist in Liyue and riding the world of evil spirits were Chongyun’s greatest goals. If he didn’t have that, there was only one other thing he could focus on. His other goal: controlling his yang energy. 

Chongyun taught himself a long time ago that he could always work a little harder to get what he wanted; improve a bit more, and train a little harder. He’d gone through great lengths to contain his yang-energy before, so he just had to keep working. Chongyun had to get stronger on all fronts if he wanted to continue exorcism. 

At the end of the day, he did want to get to the point where he could exorcise an evil spirit the true way. He would continue to drive them off regardless, but that wasn’t the point. Whether he was working as an exorcist or not, he would vanquish all evil spirits from the world. 

After calming down a bit, Chongyun sat up and looked at the Field Guide to Demons and Beasts laying on his desk. If he encountered anything, he would still be sure to document it. On the same desk was Chongyun’s vision. He remembered hearing that a vision was gifted because of someone's ambition. If that truly was so, Chongyun surely had to keep training. 

He had the gods in his favor, and nothing could excuse taking that for granted. 

Speaking of training, Chongyun had to figure out his next course of action. His parents wanted him to work on controlling his yang energy to the point where he could properly perform an exorcism. It would be a task to simply figure out a way to do that. Chongyun had at one point gone to the lengths of sitting in an icy lake on the top of Dragonspine for half a day, and even that did nothing. 

More than likely, that wasn’t all that had to be done, for the teen felt he had to improve on all fronts if he were to truly make progress. What more could he possibly put into his training? Well, with the extra time Chongyun would have from not working, he could train more. Simply increasing the time duration wouldn’t be effective though. No, Chongyun had to figure out a whole new way to improve if he wanted to move forwards. 

Then an idea popped into Chongyun’s head. An idea so crazy, it just might work. 

Now, the teen had plenty of impulsive thoughts due to his abundance of yang energy, but this seemed to have potential. He could only imagine Xingqiu’s reaction. Chongyun figured he would either be proud or call him crazy, perhaps a mix of both. 

If Chongyun wanted to improve, what better way was there then to find someone who would train him? He had been improving alone for years, but the most significant progress was made when Chongyun was still under the apprenticeship of his father. But who would Chongyun try to train under this time? 

That was the part that made this idea crazy, for Chongyun wanted none other than the Conqueror of Demons himself, Adeptus Xiao, to train him. 

According to the stories, Xiao had worked alongside the exorcists of Liyue for decades. He was strong, and a master at vanquishing evil. Chongyun had nothing but respect towards the adeptus. 

For the longest time however, he couldn’t stand the way Xiao spoke so little of exorcists. Their supposedly power lacking compared to his own. With Chongyun’s new predicament, that perspective seemed to be necessary in training. 

Being the greatest exorcist in Liyue would require exceptional power, and so would controlling Chongyun’s positive energy. An apprenticeship under someone as powerful as an adeptus with the reputation of Xiao would be perfect. 

Now all Chongyun needed to do was find him. Almost nobody ever saw so much as a glimpse of the adeptus, and rumor has it, very few who did lived to tell the tale. However, Chongyun was determined. He would not let rumors and apparent absences halt his ambition. 

Standing up, Chongyun crossed his room to the small bookshelf on the wall. He traced the spines of the objects until he found the one on gods and other divine beings in his possession. He had some research to do.  

Chapter Text

After much digging, Chongyun concluded that looking in books wasn’t going to lead anywhere. 

He read the section on adepti in his own book about god's front to back, but that only covered how they went about annihilating their enemies. It was an interesting enough read, and Chongyun even learned a thing or two that he’d missed before. The information was far from what he needed though. 

The exorcist fell asleep late, not even bothering to put the book away. He simply discarded it on the floor next to his bed before falling asleep. Chongyun awoke early, partly because he didn’t want to risk running into his parents after last night, and partially because he wanted to get a head start on his search. 

Chongyun first went to talk with Xingqiu. With as much as he read, he had to know at least something about the adepti. While his assumptions were correct, Xingqiu was more proficient in terms of folklore and stories. Again, the information was certainly interesting, but far from what Chongyun needed. He ended up spending about an hour listening to Xingqiu talk about various stories and legends. 

Despite his friends' questions, Chongyun never admitted why he wanted the information. Nor did he lie, more so just avoided the query. Afterwards, Chongyun thought of who else he knew to ask. That ended up being a very short list, but he would work with what he had. 

He ventured off to ask Xiangling if she had anything useful to add to Chongyun’s investigation, just to be sure. Who knows what information the chef could have picked up on during her many expeditions for ingredients. Much to the exorcists dismay, all she knew of was a recipe called Adeptus' Temptation that she’d loosely based one of her dishes on. 

Not knowing where else to look, Chongyun headed to the Wanwen Book House. Surely there had to be something on the adepti. Where else would Xingqiu have learned about them? The teen thought he had struck gold when he found a book that mentioned Xiao by name, but it was just another retelling of the adepti’s history. Something Chongyun already knew much about from his own learnings as an exorcist. 

The only semblance of useful information found was that Mt. Aozang and other surrounding areas were the lands of the adepti. But Xiao was a yaksha, that made him an outlier among the other divine beings. At least it was a start, but none of the books seemed worth buying and reading all the way through. 

Defeated, Chongyun left the book house. He figured asking around the docks could be practical. Sailors had many stories, and miscellaneous bits of information that could be strung into an explanation. Maybe a merchant would know how to find Xiao. 

Wandering down the stairs to the main road that cut through Liyue, Chongyun only half paid attention to his surroundings. He was far too lost in thought to be up and about, but he needed to keep searching if he really wanted to find Adeptus Xiao. 

The final resort would be getting in contact with the Qixing who was supposedly half adeptus. Chongyun had no idea how he’d manage that, but he was willing to try if it came down to it. 

Nearing the end of the main road, Chongyun passed the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. As much as Hu Tao could annoy the exorcist with her over enthusiasm and welcome of the undead, she was knowledgeable. 

Taking a deep breath, he approached the tucked away establishment. Hu Tao had best be in right now, because Chongyun did not feel like looking around the entire harbor to find her. Nor did he want to walk into the business, see that she wasn’t there, and leave without another word. 

It seemed the consultant who waited by the door wasn’t there at the moment, but the parlor didn’t look closed. Chongyun opened the door and took a look around. He’d never actually been inside before. The whole place had a tendency to put him on edge. 

It was atmospherically lit, making the front office have an almost ethereal glow while still being fairly dark. There were several bookshelves lining the walls, and a door that led further into the building. To the right of the door, in front of a book shelf was a desk, and there sat none other than Hu Tao. 

“Hello Chongyun! What brings you here today? Are you in need of our services?” She asked with a smile. 

“No,” He cut off Hu Tao quickly, before she could go on about discounts or something along those lines. “I came to ask you about something.”

The director tilted her head “Oh, what about?” 

Chongyun looked around as if what he was asking was some big secret, “Do you know anything about getting in contact with the adepti?” 

Hu Tao contemplated, then looked at her friend with a questioning smirk, “Well, why do you want to know?” 

“I-” Chongyun started. He wasn’t particularly eager for people to find out what he was trying to do. Not because he thought it was bad, but more so because of the rumors surrounding Xiao. Despite the potential danger, he still wanted to try. 

“I believe they might have some useful information on exorcisms that I want to learn,” and that wasn’t a lie. For the most part at least. 

“Hmm. Well as much as I’d like to help, I’m afraid I don’t have anything to tell.” Hu Tao put simply; another dead end. Just then, the door to the parlor opened, and someone who Chongyun recognized walked in. “Hello, it’s good to see you Zhongli.” the parlor director greeted. 

The man in question took a breath, “It’s good to see you as well.” He then looked towards Chongyun, “And who might you be?”

The young exorcist was a bit startled, “Uh, I’m Chongyun. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he greeted. Zhongli hummed and nodded in acknowledgement, then went to one of the book shelves. Chongyun turned his attention back to Hu Tao. “Are you sure you have nothing?” 

She crossed her arms and shook her head in disapproval. “Information on the adepti is a secret that is not mine to tell.” 

“Well, I guess I’ll be off then,” Chongyun sighed. He shuffled to the door and exited the business defeated. If Chongyun was going to go along with the plan of asking strangers, it would be best if he retrieved his parasol from home. The last thing he needed that day was to lose control of his yang energy. 

As he departed the area of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Chongyun was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Shocked, he turned and swiftly hit a fighting stance out of habit. Rather than the anticipated enemy however, the teen was met with Zhongli.

With a sigh of relief at the realization of no threat, Chongyun returned to a normal standing position. “I apologize Mr. Zhongli. You just startled me a bit.” 

“No need to apologize, it was my bad,” the taller man insisted. “Now, this might be an intrusion, but may I ask you something?” Chongyun nodded. “What were you talking with Hu Tao about just now?” 

Chongyun may have been even more startled than before. He didn’t know much about Zhongli other than his standing with the parlor, but he could know something useful. He was infamously known for being knowledgeable after all. “I was asking her about the adepti. More specifically, how to get in contact with them.” 

Zhongli looked Chongyun over, “You’re an exorcist, correct?” 

“Yes,” he answered. Then there was a pause. Zhongli seemed to be picking his next words carefully, but why?  

“Is there any particular reason you want to speak with the adepti? They aren’t the easiest to communicate with,” Zhongli said as if he knew from experience. 

There was something different about Zhongli that Chongyun couldn’t quite place. He definitely seemed to know something, and perhaps he would be more willing to speak than Hu Tao. It made Chongyun less hesitant to reveal his true intentions. “Well, I specifically want to meet Adeptus Xiao. He’s an expert in his field, and I was hoping I could learn something from him.” 

An unreadable expression was painted on Zhongli’s face. He looked over Chongyun once again, his eyes lingering on the vision on his hip for a moment. “Xiao isn’t too fond of humans, and he can be quite dangerous too. Are you sure you wish to speak with him?” 

“Absolutely.” Chongyun said with determination. 

Zhongli’s look shifted to one a kin to a smile. “Go to the Wangshu Inn and ask for their Special Almond Tofu. Once you have that, bring it with you to the balcony late at night. Then you should be able to speak to the adeptus.” 

“Are you sure?” the teen asked in disbelief. 

“Yes, but heed my warning when I say he won’t humor you for long.” Zhongli informed. 

Chongyun’s eyes lit up, “I will, thank you.” 

With a nod, Zhongli re-entered the funeral parlor. 

Chongyun took a moment to process the information he had just been given, making a point of remembering it all. Finally he had something, and as much as the information could very well be fake, the teen was not going to pass this up. If Zhongli was really telling the truth, Chongyun certainly owed him his gratitude. 

Looking around, still astonished, the exorcist turned and began running back to his home. Barely paying any mind to his body heat, figuring that he had plenty of popsicles he could eat soon. He had to pack his things for a trip to the Wangshu Inn. 

The trip would take a full day at the very most, and Chongyun needed to be ready. He would head out as soon as possible. 

Once home, he seized a popsicle and entered his room. Outings such as these were nothing new, as Chongyun often ended up venturing far for his work. In fact, the employees of the  Wangshu Inn knew him by name and face from how often he stayed there on his trips. 

That being said, a bag prepared with necessary items such as a bedroll and rations was already prepared. Chongyun just needed to pack some mora, his popsicles, and a few other commodities. That and his claymore of course. 

The exorcist hastily gathered equipment and packed it. He was careful in what he brought, to ensure he had what was needed, as well as not bringing too much. Once satisfied, Chongyun closed the bag and examined his surroundings. 

Not wanting to worry his parents, as much as Chongyun currently resented them, he decided that leaving them a message would be a good idea. He sat at his desk, and wrote a quick note saying he would be out to find a book on yang energy. A believable lie, that likely wouldn’t get him in trouble. 

He slung the bag over his shoulders and took a much needed deep breath. Archons, he really hoped this would payoff. The teen did one last mental inventory check before promptly exiting his home. 

Chongyun had been traveling for quite some time when he finally concluded it was time to rest. He would have opted to carry on longer, but the little sleep he had gotten the night before made that feat seem impossible. Not to mention, Chongyun’s feet felt a bit sore, and he was starting to get hungry. 

He had to keep his energy up to finish the rest of the journey tomorrow. An additional reason to stop were the thick clouds that started to cover the sky, a clear sign of rain. 

Chongyun made it to the edge of the ruins on the Guili Plains, figuring that would be as good of a place to set up camp as any. A tree with thick enough leaves to block out the bad weather was his spot of choice. Bag discarded under said tree, Chongyun summoned  his claymore to make sure there were no enemies or even evil spirits that could attack him in his sleep. 

All danger Chongyun had to face was a hillychurl or two, but that was easily taken care of. The light rainfall made that operation even more simple, allowing the exorcists cryo attacks to be that much more effective. 

Satisfied with his achievements, Chongyun returned to his tree. He spread out the bedroll on the ground, before sitting on it and pulling out some of the pastries he packed. They were a gift from Xingqiu and Xiangling, made with mist flowers, mint, and some surprisingly unnoticeable cryo slime condensate. This allowed the dishes to have cold qualities while still actually being room temperature. 

The food was filling enough to satisfy Chongyun’s hunger, and the exorcist soon settled in, pulled his hood up, and drifted to sleep. 

Chongyun awoke early the next morning and swiftly collected his belongings. Glimpses of morning light traced the sky, and the teen continued his way to the Wangshu Inn.   

The second half of the trip was a bit more eventful than the first. He ended up getting into a fight with an abyss mage when he took a break from walking to eat a popsicle. That didn’t end well for the enemy, but Chongyun was left with a few small burns because of it. 

At another point, the exorcist swore to the archons that he saw an evil spirit following him, but after 20 minutes of investigation, that turned out to be nothing more than a rabbit. What was with him mistaking those for foul beasts that needed to be exorcised? 

It was nearly sunset when Chongyun finally arrived at the inn. All he wanted to do was book a room and collapse for 12 hours, but there was still a task at hand. He did book a room, but only to put his bag in for now. Chongyun could rest later. 

The exorcist approached the same front desk he had just moments before to order food. He’d done it very few times, as many of the Wangshu Inn’s dishes were served hot. He was sure it would be fine though. 

“Hello miss, I would like to order some food,” Chongyun stated hesitantly. 

“Of course Chongyun, what would you like?” The boss lady knew the exorcist by name due to his many visits, but Chongyun could never seem to remember her’s. 

“Uh, I’d like two servings of your Special Almond Tofu.” The woman now looked at Chongyun with mild skepticism; a great contrast to her friendly smile before. It seemed like she knew he was up to something, or maybe the tofu wasn’t actually available. Zhongli wouldn’t lie, would he? 

“Okay.” She paused, observing the teen in front of her for a few moments. “Would that be all?” She still seemed cynical. 

Chongyun thought for a moment. “Is it possible I could get one of the servings cold?” If there really was something so special about this tofu that it could summon an adeptus, it had to be good. So, Chongyun figured he’d try it himself. 

“Yes, it is. Your food will be delivered to your room shortly, and the expenses will be added to your bill.” Her business smile returned, a bit more forced this time. 

“Thank you,” Chongyun said. Afterwards, he returned to his room to await his order. 

The exorcist sat on his bed, and he couldn’t help but feel antsy. He was about to meet The Conqueror of Demons, Adeptus Xiao. How could one prepare themselves for such an occasion? The legends of the adeptus were incredible, and he’d defeated forces of evil Chongyun could only imagine. 

Zhongli said he would want to keep the conversation brief, so it was imperative that Chongyun knew how to get his point across. Waiting for the food, he rehearsed what to say in his head. As he did this, the exorcist paced in the room.  

Adeptus Xiao, it’s an honor. My name is Chongyun, and I come from a family of exorcists in Liyue harbor. I know you must be very busy with your work as a adeptus, and I’m thankful you even came here tonight. I must ask you for this favor though, and if you were to pay it, I’d forever be in your debt. Could you take me in as an apprentice?

While that sounded fine, it was a bit wordy, and with Xiao’s distaste towards exorcists, perhaps it was best Chongyun not state he was one so directly. 

My name is Chongyun, and I wish to vanquish all evil from this world. I have heard of your many feats, and I am constantly training to become stronger. When I thought of someone to help me with that goal, I thought of no one better than yourself. So, would you be willing to take me in as your student and teach me the ways of vanquishing evil? 

That was better, but perhaps it was too focused on himself. Was Xiao a fan of humbleness? Chongyun also thought he should at least mention his yang energy, as that was what he was trying to control. 

A gentle knock on the door grasped the exorcist's attention, stopping him in his tracks. Was the food done already? He walked to the door, and opened it to see a tray with two covered plates resting on it. So it was.

This whole ordeal was stressing the teen out, and the idea of a nice cold meal sounded as appealing as ever. Chongyun lifted the food from the floor, and brought it into the room.  

He set the tray on the desk the inn provided, checking both dishes to find the cold one as he sat down. Chongyun fully removed the cover to look at the tofu. It really did look good, even in it’s cold state. He picked up one of the pairs of chopsticks that came on the tray and put a piece in his mouth. 

With one taste, Chongyun knew why Xiao would be allured by this dish. It truly was delicious, being sweet while still keeping the flavor of the almonds. Chongyun quickly took another bite, relishing in the flavor. 

The meal was quickly gone, and Chongyun wasted no time checking how late into the night it was through the window. Now would be late enough, right? Zhongli wasn’t exactly specific with the time, and better to serve the food hot then room temperature. 

Chongyun took the plate the Special Almond Tofu was on, and took a deep breath. This was it, he guessed. 

As the exorcist left his room, he was surprised at how quiet the rest of the inn was. It didn’t seem that late, but Chongyun was having a difficulties keeping track of time recently. That was besides the point though. A bit panicked because he still didn’t know what exactly to say, Chongyun neared the balcony. 

He took slow and careful steps, not wanting to make too much noise. The teen sat at the table, placed the plate down in front of the adjacent seat and looked towards the night sky. He then waited for a solid minute. 

 For all the stress, this felt a bit anticlimactic.  

How exactly was this supposed to work? Was Chongyun supposed to call Xiao? Maybe there was a ritual or some kind that Zhongli forgot to mention, or maybe this just wasn’t going to work. At least the teen got a good meal out of it. 

He continued the wait for quite awhile before looking down with a sigh. It really did seem like a long shot. What would an employee at a funeral parlor truly know about contacting an adeptus? Chongyun looked up again to reach for the food to bring inside, but then he froze. 

On the railing of the balcony, looking towards the horizon sat Xiao.

He continued to look outwards to the twinkling night sky, “What do you want, human?” 

Chapter Text

Chongyun looked in awe. It was him. It was really him . 

Xiao’s silhouette contrasted greatly with the starlit night sky. It was almost as if someone cut out that portion of the sky. Chongyun couldn’t believe it. 

What should he do now? The exorcist didn’t think this would actually work. But seriously, the Adeptus Xiao was right in front of him. 

“I asked you a question,” Xiao said with annoyance and malice. His neck was now craned to look behind him. That snapped Chongyun out of his daze. Right, he called for a reason. 

“My name is Chongyun, and my goal is to vanquish all evil from this world. From the stories I’ve heard, you seem to be an expert in that field. I wish to become stronger to achieve my goals so I-” 

“Spare me your speeches mortal, I have no time for such trivial matters,” Xiao interrupted him as he spun around from his spot on the railing. The adeptus slid off and took a few steps towards the Special Almond Tofu. His eyes never meeting Chongyun’s own. 

The exorcist panicked a bit. This could be his only chance and he didn’t want to waste it. “If you’ll just hear me out for a moment, I’d be forever in your debt.” 

“I don’t need your debt, now leave before you do something more foolish than trying to speak with me.” Xiao picked up the plate of food, as well as the chopsticks Chongyun placed next to it. He took several steps away and began eating, still facing the exorcist.  

As he took a bite, Chongyun swore he saw a brief look of joy on his face. It was immediately replaced with the same annoyed expression as before though. 

“Fine, but could you just listen. This matter is very important to me-” 

“The matters of you humans mean nothing to the adepti,” Xiao interrupted again. He simply continued to eat his tofu as if that encounter was nothing in the world. 

 Chongyun was starting to get annoyed, but he couldn’t lose his temper. Deep breaths, He told himself. Nothing would get done if he lost control now. “I understand, and that’s why I’m thankful you showed up.” 

Xiao took another bite, nearly finished with his meal already. “I didn’t come here for you,” He set the plate down where it was before, stretching for a moment before saying, “If you think you mean something in the eyes of an adeptus you really need to think again.” 

The exorcist took a step towards Xiao in frustration. “Please Adeptus Xiao, I have but one request.” 

Both parties were starting to get a bit agitated “It’s not my job to fulfill foolish wishes. Now I’ll be going before you waste any more of my time.”

“Oh my Archons! Could you just shut up for a second!” Chongyun snapped. 

Silence followed, and Xiao looked at him somewhat shocked, rather than being angry himself. The exorcist slapped a hand over his mouth, immediately regretting his sudden outburst. He screwed himself over, and it was probably too late to save this. 

Chongyun remained silent, for fear of what he would say if he opened his mouth again, but then Xiao spoke up, “Fine human, what do you have to say to me?” 

The younger of the two was shocked. This was his last chance, and based on previous attempts, he had to get straight to the point. “I’d like for you to train me in your ways of vanquishing evil.” 

Xiao blinked as if that were the strangest thing he’s ever heard. Chongyun didn’t want to run the risk of getting interrupted again, so he continued. “I work as an exorcist in Liyue Harbor, but I’m not as strong as I need to be. But your strength is unparalleled, and I want to train so I can learn even a fraction of what you do.” 

And then more silence. Chongyun had to restrain himself from shaking. The built up stress from the past few days, along with this whole interaction was getting to him. If Xiao were to accept his request, it would be worth doing it a thousand times over. 

The adeptus in question now looked completely neutral. Likely he was processing what the other had said, but it wasn’t clear as to what he was thinking. The atmosphere was very uncomfortable as Chongyun awaited Xiao’s response. Should he talk more, or would silence be better? 

Perhaps this was a test of some kind. Maybe the training started right away. 

The adeptus finally changed his look, and it was not what Chongyun hoped for. He looked angry, for more so than before. “Do you really believe you have what it takes to train under an adeptus, mortal? Because I thought you were stupid for summoning me, but this is almost impressive.” 

Chongyun had already made it this far, he might as well keep going. “Even if my actions are foolish, I am willing to put in the effort as your apprentice.” 

“You wouldn’t survive a day of training,” Xiao’s tone was low and threatening. It would be a lie if Chongyun didn’t feel a bit scared. Even just the presence of Xiao was enough to make even the most brave individuals feel uneased. 

“With all due respect Adeptus Xiao, you underestimate the effort I’m willing to put in.” 

With a blink, Xiao was no less than a foot away from the other man. He had to look slightly up as Chongyun was taller than him, but that didn’t change anything. The rage was practically radiating off of him. If Chongyun wasn’t scared before, he sure was now. Xiao moved so impossibly fast, who knows what else he could do. 

“Effort means nothing if you don’t have enough strength to carry it out, mortal.” Xiao turned exasperatedly. Within moments he was on the railing of the balcony again. “But fine, if you really want to prove yourself then listen:

“There’s a cave to the west of Tianqiu Valley. In that cave there should be a creature known as the Primo Geovishap. If you can kill it and bring me the Prithiva Topaz from it as proof, I might consider training you”

Then just like that, Xiao was gone. 

Chongyun stood frozen for a long while. What in the archon's name had just happened? 

He’d really just met Adeptus Xiao. Archons, he even back talked him. He yelled at an adeptus, and was somehow still alive. Anyone with half a brain would think Chongyun had a death wish. He himself didn’t know if he felt alive, or modified for his mortal existence’s end. 

But wait, Xiao had given him an opportunity. A Primo Geovishap, Chongyun had heard of that creature before. He would need to study up on it more however. He had an opportunity though, a chance for Xiao to actually train him. 

The teen had to take a few deep breaths. He was experiencing a lot of emotions right now, and didn’t want to risk losing control of his yang energy. He’d gotten far too close before. 

Not even remembering to retrieve the plate from the tofu still on the table, Chongyun nearly ran back to his room. A great difference to the silent and slow approach out to the inn’s balcony. Chongyun had much preparation to do if he wanted to pull this off, and he would either get it done, or die trying. 

From a distance, Xiao watched as the exorcist rushed inside. Something was different about that human. Not just due to his pure yang spirit, something the adeptus didn’t pay any mind to until Chongyun shouted. It was as if he was suppressing it before, but that couldn’t be right. 

No, Xiao really could tell the mortal was truly was determined. He really hoped he wasn’t stupid enough to get himself killed any time soon. 

Chapter Text

It took Chongyun about half the time it took him to get to the Wangshu Inn to get home. He was just too eager to move forwards. Opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime, and one would be a fool to pass it up.  

As he practically ran back to Liyue, Chongyun’s thoughts were a giddy unchecked mess. He was going to be able to become a professional exorcist again, he just needed to kill this thing, and work with Xiao for a bit. With the adeptus’ expertise, how could it not work out? He was going to train harder than ever, and finally be one step closer to vanquishing all evil from the world. 

Keeping his yang energy on the trip back was a hassle to say the least. 

After a very minimal bit of searching, Chongyun’s blind enthusiasm suddenly faded. The Primo Geovishap was infamous in folklore for being a nearly invulnerable foe. It’s ability to adapt to and channel the elements was astonishing in a horrifying sort of way. 

He would have to take the same route he did when facing any known enemy. If Chongyun knew what he was fighting, he could plan strategies to ensure victory. The issue was, not many people have fought Primo Geovishap’s and lived to tell the tale. This resulted in very little being known about their attacks, so the exorcist would just have to prepare for anything. 

With all the evil spirits he learned about, Chongyun was never scared. A being you have almost no chance of encountering didn’t often elicit fear. He often sought out such things anyways, likely being overly too eager to encounter evil spirits just for the sake of getting rid of them. But an exorcism was not the same as slaying a monster. 

What made this Geovishap so daunting was the fact that Chongyun knew he would have to face it. It was no longer a piece of fiction, but a real thing that he was going to not only see, but fight. He couldn’t pretend this wasn’t real, or defeat the enemy before it could get within 10 meters of him. 

So, in the face of fear, Chongyun did what he knew he always could: train. 

For a week straight, from the moment he woke up to when it felt like his body was going to give out, Chongyun trained. Everything from his standard workouts, to attacking boulders, to practicing his thaumaturgy. He worked as if his life depended on it, because if he didn’t go into this fight prepared, it very well could. 

He ran laps 10 around the harbor every morning he could. Stamina and cardio were essential in elongated fights. This one was sure to be of that nature if the geovishap’s naturally armored skin was real. 

On a three day long expedition in the middle of the week, Chongyun went to the base of Dragonspine to train even harder. Getting too hot was a hassle in controlling his yang energy, so it truly was a viable strategy. There he could push himself even further. Not to mention how many of the creatures in Dragonspine had exceptional strength. A challenge would ensure growth. 

The day he arrived at the mountain, Chongyun didn’t sleep. This was a golden opportunity to push his limits, and see what he was capable of. The fight was how the exorcist was going to prove himself as a worthy apprentice to Xiao. Slacking of any kind was not an option. 

As an exorcist, Chongyun knew he could never rest until all evil was vanquished. This training was just pushing him further towards greatness. It was pushing him further towards an apprenticeship with Adeptus Xiao. 

Chongyun fought every enemy he came across vigorously, applying as many of the new tactics he’d learned as possible. Legends told of Xiao defeating lawachurls with a single attack, so one or three mitachurls shouldn’t be a problem for Chongyun, right? He would have to find out. 

Exorcists did train in martial arts, but their skills were best applied against spirits or demons. For an exorcist who couldn’t encounter those things, it was imperative he trained against other threats. Chongyun was by far the most proficient at standard combat in his field, but he still had a long way to go. 

The only night that week Chongyun rested a reasonable amount was the day before he set off to Tianqiu Valley. Pushing yourself was always important for training, but fighting a beast like the Primo Geovishap would require anyone to be at full strength. 

That morning, the exorcist went to the Wanmin restaurant to pick up some more popsicles for the trip. He was just paying Chef Mao, when he heard a voice distantly behind him, “Chongyun!” 

Turning, the voice was revealed to belong to an annoyed looking Xingqiu, who was approaching with much haste. It wasn’t until the bookworm was a few feet in front of Chongyun that he spoke again, “My friend, where have you been off to all week?” 

Despite his words, Xingqiu was clearly upset. 

Chongyun stood there, box of custom made popsicles in hand. “Training.” he put simply. 

Xingqiu blinked in disbelief, “training?” 

“Yep.” A beat of silence followed. 

“Listen Chongyun, while your pursuit of martial arts is commendable, it would be appreciated if you didn’t disappear for extended intervals of time. And if you do intend to do so, promise me you will at least inform me first.” Xingqiu was still a bit irked, but he seemed to understand. Chongyun knew he had every right to feel upset, though. If his friend disappeared for a week, he too would be anxious. 

More than anxious actually. Chongyun would probably search the expanses of Liyue if Xingqiu or any of his other friends suddenly went missing. And just like that, the exorcist felt a lot more guilty about his actions. 

“I promise I will, and I’m sorry for worrying you.” Chongyun consoled. 

Taking a breath, Xingqiu's usual mischievous smile returned, “Good.” He observed the exorcist more thoroughly this time. He had his backpack on, something that he’d only wear when leaving the harbor. “It looks as if you have an exploit in store for today, another attempt at an exorcism perhaps?” 

“You could say that,” Chongyun answered, avoiding eye contact as he did so. He didn’t enjoy lying to his friend. That wasn’t technically a lie though, he tried to tell himself. 

“Well, if you must be off soon, how about I escort you to the city exit, my liege?” Being as dramatic as ever, Xingqiu did a small bow as he spoke. 

Chongyun nodded. “That would be appreciated, thank you.” He remained for the most part, neutral in tone. It wasn’t that the exorcist wasn’t happy to spend time with his friend, he just wanted to get to Tianqiu Valley as fast as possible. He was also worried Xingqiu would ask more questions like he always does. Speaking of his friend, that raised another question for Chongyun. “Are the others worried too?” 

The pair began their short trip to Liyue Harbor’s main entrance. “Quite, but I’ll inform them you haven’t met your demise.” Xingqiu playfully shoved the other, as it was rightfully deserved. “So, where are you off to today?” 

“Tianqiu Valley,” Chongyun truly was one for short answers that morning. 

“Hmm, an uncommon place for an evil spirit to appear. It’ll be a tragedy if I don’t get to bear witness to your first true exorcism,” the bookworm thought aloud. 

“I’m not going to face an evil spirit.” The exorcist said without thinking. It didn’t register in his mind until Xingqiu reacted. 

“Oh? Then what other foul beast could it possibly be?” He questioned. 

Chongyun’s eyes widened in sudden realization. This was bad, this was really bad. Why did he have to speak so impulsively, because the exorcist didn’t want to blatantly lie. This was something he had to do, almost as much as he needed to breathe. Chongyun knew of the danger, but he threw rationality out the window the second he thought to meet with Xiao. 

 If he told anyone of his true intentions, they would surely try to stop him. 

Xingqiu took the silence as embarrassment in the other, “No need to be bashful my friend, whatever intentions you have with this quest are safe with me. Would I be wrong in thinking it’s a pursuit of the heart?” He teased, thoughts certainly going in the wrong direction. 

The main exit to the harbor was very near now, and Chongyun figured if he didn’t say anything, he would be able to leave without a guilty conscience. If it acquainted to anything, the exorcist would try his damnedest not to die so those he cared about wouldn’t have to go looking for his dead body. 

 But of course, Xingqiu had to be observant and open his big mouth. 

“Is everything alright, friend?” He stopped and looked to the other with all the sincerity in the world. A great difference from his playfulness before. “You’ve seemed nervous since our first encounter today. If this trip is troubling you, telling me might alleviate some stress.” 

Oh Archons, what could Chongyun do here other than tell the truth? He’s already worried Xingqiu enough recently, but it would be worse if he was lied to. Who knows, maybe Xingqiu wouldn’t even know what he was talking about. The exorcist took a deep breath and looked his best friend dead in the eye. 

“I’m going to fight a Primo Geovishap.” 

And with that, Chongyun was off. He couldn’t stay even a moment longer. Both for the fact that Xingqiu might stop him, and he might try to stop himself. 

Xingqiu froze at Chongyun’s words. 

That idiot was going to get himself killed. He couldn’t be serious right?

But it was a well known fact that the exorcist hated to lie. Not to mention all the outlandish things he insisted on doing for the sake of something most couldn’t make sense of. A self sacrificing pursuit of strength born out of determination that could only be rivaled by other vision bearers.  

But still, was he truly that crazy? 

The answer to that question was an astounding yes. 

By nightfall, Chongyun was standing right outside of the cave belonging to his opponent, claymore in hand. He took a deep breath before channeling cryo into his weapon, and proceeding towards the foe. 

In Chongyun’s defense, the pictures made Primo Geovishaps look much smaller. The second he laid on the beast, that was apparent. Not to mention, he wasn’t a particularly large person, coming in at a whopping 161 cm.

To put it simply, he was horrified. 

This was likely one of the most irrational and impulsive decisions he’s ever made, and that’s still counting the times he’s lost control of his yang energy. But this was ultimately his decision, and he went through all that trouble. He wasn’t going to give up now. 

It’s still not too late to turn back , the rational part of his brain screamed like it was on the brink of  death. As Chongyun took a drink of a potion he brewed himself that would supposedly make him less susceptible to attacks, it probably did. At least it tried. 

The creature hadn’t yet noticed Chongyun. By some miracle, it was sleeping,  so he had a moment to go over his plan. 

• Don’t get attacked
• If it channels cryo, don’t use cryo to attack 
• Don’t forget it can burrow underground 
• Hit it until it dies

It seemed like a solid enough strategy at the time, but in retrospect he should’ve done more. Maybe he just wasn’t remembering it right considering the circumstances. 

The exorcist pulled out a popsicle and took a few quick bites. The coolness of the familiar flavor calmed him. Right, he trained for this. If he remained vigilant, things would turn out fine. He wasn’t going to let a bit of fear stop him. Chongyun took one last bite of the cold treat, not paying any mind to the way it made his teeth ache. 

With that he summoned multiple spirit blades as an opener, slamming them directly onto the geovishap who was laying on the other end of the cave. It awoke suddenly with an earth shattering roar, standing on all fours to reveal its true size. It was clearly disoriented at the sudden attack, Chongyun noticed. A perfect opening. 

The exorcist charged forwards, summoning more blades of frost to fling towards the monster. Upon contact, it looked directly at him and charged forwards. The ground shook under it’s reverberating footsteps. 

Just before the foul creature could strike, Chongyun slicked the ground underneath with a thin layer of ice in a single motion, thus sliding past it with ease. He dug his claymore into the ground to come to a halt, making quick pace to flank geovishap before it could turn around. 

One of the things the exorcist learned from his research was that, due to their size and stature, Primo Geovishaps weren’t particularly fast in certain areas of combat. Speed and movement were crucial to ensure victory. 

Chongyun berated it with fell swoop after fell swoop as it went to face him. The abomination went for a slam attack, rising onto its back feat and bringing it’s front ones down again. The exorcist attempted to dive out of the way, only barely missing the blunt force of the ambush. Despite his best efforts, the shockwave still managed to send Chongyun flying back. 

With a thud he hit the ground. Okay, so that hurt , he noticed. Chongyun made quick work to stand up once again and continue the battle. 

He wiped the sweat off of his brow, luckily not feeling particularly hot because of the cryo currently running through his veins. However, a deep breath was still in order to keep calm and recover from the attack. With all the effort Chongyun had to put into controlling his yang energy on a day to day basis, he always seemed to be fine in the midst of a fight. 

As he pushed forwards once again, Chongyun muttered a spell as well as channeled more cryo into his sword. The weapon was slammed into the ground, creating a shockwave of ice right next to the geovishap. As the beast recoiled, Chongyun continued to strike it. 

This cycle continued for a time, the teen growing significantly better at avoiding the shockwaves of the slam attacks, until he noticed a change in the creature's movements. 

It jumped into the air, and Chongyun thought he was done for. He was much too close to avoid a shockwave of that caliber. The archons must have been on his side at that moment, for the beast used it’s downward momentum to burrow into the ground. 

Of course! How could Chongyun forget, it was one of the four items on his plan after all. Once the realization that he wasn’t dead sunk in, a single thought came to his mind: run. And so he did. 

The exorcist narrowly dodged the debris that flew up above where the geovishap was traversing through the earth.  He even once had to go as far as cutting one of the airborne pieces in half. A very brief period of stillness was immediately followed by the fowl beast jumping out of the ground. Chongyun took advantage of its exposed stomach to make a deep slash in the unarmored skin. 

As the abomination landed, he flung more ice blades into it. The creature seemed significantly more aggravated then before, and okay fair. It was being ruthlessly attacked by a teenager, but that’s besides the point. The point is that Chongyun could suddenly feel that it was radiating more heat, which certainly wasn’t a good sign. 

He barely noticed that the geovishap was starting to breathe fire in time to evade it. The heat was making the exorcists' mind go a bit blank. He blinked and tried to take a deep breath, but that didn’t seem to work. He couldn’t lose control right now, not when it was literally a life or death situation. 

With the hesitation, Chongyun was flung across the cave as the beast did a spin attack. Despite the pain it caused, that managed to ground the exorcist enough to focus back on the fight. Shock went through his body and Chongyun was sure he was bleeding. In fact, it was very obvious considering the red stains that littered his white clothing. 

He still felt like he was acting more on impulse than anything else, but it would have to do. Impulse might save his life, because excruciating pain and strategizing weren’t exactly a good mix. 

Pain was evident in every fiber of Chongyun’s being, but he was still alive, so that meant he would still keep fighting. 

He rushed the beast once again, but then it paused, and within a moment a wave of electro was cast off of it. That along with the sudden static electricity in the air made Chongyun’s whole body feel fuzzy. More so than before that is. That wasn’t going to stop him from attacking for even a second. 

More blades of ice were summoned and thrust into the monster's back. It roared once again, and a slight purple glow seemed to be coming from its throat. Then it kept its mouth open, glow only continuing to brighten. 

That did not seem good. 

In a pure reactional decision, Chongyun lunged forwards. Right before he hit the ground, he unconsciously created an ice pillar that gave him the momentum to jump onto the geovishap's back.

The electro energy radiating from it shocked Chongyun over and over again, but he refused to let go as he climbed further up the beast’s back towards its head. It shook vigorously, attempting to shake Chongyun off, but to no avail. In a last ditch effort, it went through with its attack and shot electricity into the ground, sending another deadly shockwave. 

Chongyun took the opening, and plunged his own claymore right into the top of the geovishap's head. He pushed until it broke through the creature's tough rock-like skin, and eventually penetrating its skull. 

With a final roar, the Primo Geovishap fell onto its stomach and died. 

Chongyun fell off of the corpse, but tried to push himself up to reclaim his claymore and collect the Prithiva Topaz. He, however, could hardly move. The adrenaline from the fight was quickly fading, and the exorcist was most certainly bleeding out from several places. One in particular being a nasty gash in his side that was partially covered by his over-shirt. 

Not wanting to meet the same fate as the enemy, Chongyun channeled cryo into his hand, then moved it to his side, sealing the wound with a layer of ice. The cold was numbing, and certainly did a good job at subsiding the pain. So much so in fact, that he was able to stand up and pull the sword out of the fallen geovishap’s head. 

It felt a lot heavier than before, and suddenly it was on the ground with a clatter, Chongyun following suit. He suddenly felt really tired, barely managing to keep his eyes open. 

Within moments, Chongyun was out cold on the floor of the cave. 

Chapter Text

The floor was cold and damp. 

That’s the first thing Chongyun noted when he slowly drifted back to consciousness. Other than that, his mind was pretty much blank. It wasn’t confusion or anything of the sort. It was just a weird exhausted numbness, like his brain was just going through the motions rather than taking the energy to analyze the situation. Chongyun was simply waking up after falling unconscious for a reason currently unknown to him. 

The exorcist opened his eyes to be met with the dim lighting of a cave. He was laying on his stomach, claymore just inches to right. He pushed himself up, only then noticing the pain in his side. “Agh,” he groaned at the sudden sensation. 

Chongyun managed to sit up and lean against the nearest surface, which just so happened to be the body of a dead Primo Geovishap. “Oh,” he realized. That’s why he was passed out in a cave. 

The exorcist didn’t have time to bask in the euphoria of his victory, as it currently felt like his body was trying to tear itself apart. He would have to remember to get the Prithiva Topaz as a show of his conquest. If this was any example for what Xiao had in store with training, Chongyun had to keep moving forwards. 

To get a better evaluation of where the pain was coming from, he took off his over-shirt, as well as some of the other layers of his outfit. With just the tight fitting turtleneck clad to his torso, Chongyun was able to see his injury, and oh archons . That did not look good. 

Luckily, nearly unconscious Chongyun had the sense to stop the bleeding with ice, or he would’ve been long dead by now. It still didn’t look good. If the exorcist moved much more, his wound would surely open, so following his past self’s actions, Chongyun created a layer of frost over his side where the previous one had melted. 

At least it hurts a little bit less now, he mused to himself with a sigh. He went to grab his discarded clothing when something felt a bit off. Chongyun’s arms felt almost a bit tingly, like they were asleep. Then he noticed his hands. 

They were covered in a soot of sorts. Rubbing his thumb across his fingertips, he couldn’t really feel a lot. Definitely not nothing, just less than what he was used to. What could’ve caused that of all things? It wasn’t frostbite, that was for sure. Suddenly the exorcist remembered his actions at the end of the fight.  

A bit panicked, Chongyun took off his arm guards to assess the damage. He had clear electrical scarring from the ends of his fingertips, to about a third of the way down each forearm. That’s what he got for climbing on the back of a creature who was literally giving off electro energy, he guessed. On the bright side, it could’ve been a lot worse. 

Chongyun was sure he had a plethora of other injuries to take care of, but wait. 

Fuck. 

He remembered he left his bag near the entrance to the cave, the one that had all of his first aid supplies. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Chongyun grasped his claymore and shoved it into the ground to help him stand. He could get his things in a second, right now he just wanted to get the Prithiva Topaz, and leave the cave. 

With a pained breath, the exorcist lifted his weapon carefully and aimed it to go under one of the spikes on the beast’s corpse. It took far too much effort for him to shove the blade under the armored skin, and pry a chunk of it off the creature's back. Every move shot spikes of pain through his entire body. Doing so much as gripping his sword's handle was a task. 

The newly exposed skin on the geovishap revealed a golden, crystal-like substance. From all the research he conducted, Chongyun assumed this was the Prithiva Topaz. He lifted his claymore once again, and went to stab the material to get a piece loose. This proved partially successful, for no large enough pieces to acquaint to anything broke free. Luckily, one looked loose enough to be pulled out. 

Letting go of the weapon, and reaching to grab the golden crystal, Chongyun pulled. His tight grip made the tingling in his hands morph into something more of needles poking his skin. The pain only made him pull harder, because he just killed this giant monster, a piece of rock wasn’t going to stop him. 

The increased pricking sensation made tears start to form in the exorcist's eyes, that along with the strain put on the rest of his injured body. With a loud cracking sound, the crystal broke free, and Chongyun fell backwards. 

The sudden contact with the ground made the injury on his side scream in agony. Chongyun almost did the same, but it came out as more of a sob. It hurt so much to even breathe, but it was all worth it for the small stone in his hand. Well that’s what Chongyun tried to tell himself. 

It gleamed with the faint light from the other crystals strewn throughout the cavern. The exorcist had seen other similar minerals sold at a shop in Liyue, but they were usually in small fragments. This chunk of Prithiva Topaz was bigger than Chongyun’s palm. It’s golden glow was almost enough to distract from the soreness. 

He picked up his over-shirt which was laying on the floor nearby, and wrapped the item in it for safekeeping. The process of gathering the rest of his belongings and walking to the exit of the cave was a drawn out and treacherous one. He felt a similar sensation in his feet to the one in his hands, but luckily it was much more dull. 

Chongyun all but collapsed next to his backpack at the cave exit. 

The sky was still dark, but it was clear morning was nearing as it looked several shades lighter than what was expected for the average night sky. The moon was nowhere to be seen, likely setting on the western horizon. 

Even with all the beauty of the fading evening into dawn, all Chongyun could think about was how long the fight took. The more pressing matter being of course, how long was he passed out? He’d arrived shortly after sunset, so that had to be around eight hours. 

Carelessly digging through his back, and desperate for any relief to his anguish, the exorcist claimed his prize of a potion that supposedly had healing qualities. This was one he didn’t brew on his own, but instead bought from an esteemed alchemist from Mondstadt during his time in Dragonspine. Chongyun prayed to whatever holy being that would listen for the substance to be effective. 

He downed the bottle as fast as his body would allow, and agony like he’d never felt before made it nearly impossible to breathe. If he didn't moments away from death  before, he sure did now. The wound on his side felt like it was being torn open then sealed shut over and over again. He couldn't think; he couldn’t even scream. All there was to do was just sit and endure the agonizing pain. It lasted for a seemingly never ending moment. 

Relief followed soon after. 

Chongyun was shaking and taking desperate gasps for air now that his lungs felt functional. He gripped the fabric of his shirt near his chest just to be sure he could still feel something. The lightweight material almost didn't feel real, but the increased heart beast he could feel throughout his entire body assured him that he was still alive. Chongyun worked to regain control of his breathing and calm down. The burst of pain made his body feel much more relaxed and almost numb.   

Getting a grip on his own thoughts to return to a much more rational way of thinking, the realization of everything sunk in. 

Chongyun had done it, he’d killed the beast and got what he came for. Despite everything he just went through the exorcist smiled and laughed. He could have very well just died, but he didn’t. The fight was horrible, and petrifying, but he won. It still wasn't quite time for celebration though, because Chongyun's journey was far from over. That being said, he pushed that sheer bliss of victory to the side. 

Not wanting to get side tracked, he summoned a popsicle and began snacking on it. Looking over his body, it was clear the exorcist wasn’t fully healed. The gash placed above his right hip still definitely needed bandaging, and his hands felt a bit more numb then the rest of his body. The scars covering his hands and arms had faded a bit at least. 

A roll of bandages was pulled out of Chongyun's bag. Setting those to the side momentarily, he lifted up his shirt a bit to expose his stomach. Before going to bandage the wound, he hovered his hand over it and numbed it even more with cold. That would make the process of dressing the injury feel like almost nothing. So, picking up the bandage roll, he sat up a bit and wrapped the material around his torso. 

Only a few other scratches needed patching up as the potion did its job in healing any smaller lacerations. 

While patching up his injuries, Chongyun thought of what he should do next. Going to Liyue would be the more rational course of action, but Xiao had already waited a week. 

What if he gave up on me already? A part of the exorcists' mind asked. That was not something that could be risked. If he wanted Xiao to even consider training him, he needed to get the topaz to him as soon as possible. The injuries would heal fine, as long as Chongyun didn’t get into any fights on the way to the Wangshu Inn. 

Before setting off, the exorcist ate a small meal he’d packed, as well as drinking some water. He also threw on a cloak he always packed to guard any direct sunlight, as his usual over-shirt was being used to keep the crystal he collected safe. He didn't also want to deal with losing control of his yang energy, or even just getting a sunburn. 

It took until standing up for Chongyun to realize how exhausted he was, but he came prepared for this. From his bag ne retrieved  a smaller vial compared to the last, and drank it in one gulp. The alchemist- Albedo, Chongyun remembered. Was he the one who worked on that book with  Xingqiu? -said it would give him an energy boost if needed, but the effects would take a bit to kick in. 

With a deep breath, Chongyun threw on his backpack, and began the walk to the inn. 

The exorcist arrived in the late afternoon, thoroughly exhausted from the trip and the fight. The potion worked, but that was several hours ago. Its effects had long since worn off, and Chongyun continued to use his limited energy walking. 

The trip was a long and treacherous one, even if he didn't encounter any monsters on the way, by some miracle. The sun was his greatest enemy, and all of his popsicles were long gone. Chongyun's limbs felt like they weights were dragging him down, put there with the specific intent of making his life worse. The insurmountable load that was his own body had to be carried for far too long of a distance. 

Upon arrival, Chongyun hardly felt like he was alive anymore.  He booked a room as usual, only about half conscious as he did so. I can sleep later, he foolishly told himself, struggling to keep his eyes open. 

Once in the residence, he discarded his bag on the floor, not paying any mind to the fragile and important material in it. Afterwards, Chongyun immediately went to take a cold shower, which wasn’t as unpleasant as it sounded. The exorcist was used to it, and cold environments were never an issue. That being said, he couldn’t deny how nice warmth would feel on his achy body. 

Afterwards, as he changed into his clothes, Chongyun concluded that he would have to get the ones he wore in the battle washed and repaired. Luckily he always packed another outfit similar to his usual one on trips, just in case. He didn’t put on all the fancy accessories and other additions though. In retrospect, all the extra preparation he put into packing for trips probably made his bag far heavier then it had to be. But hey, preparation was nearly as important as completing a task on its own. 

Usually, Chongyun put a bit of effort into his appearance. Not enough for it to be a major inconvenience, but when out working professionalism was important. Xingqiu had taught him that. Despite that, while sitting in the inn room after going through the most pain he ever had and then walking for archons know how long, was under enough strain to prioritize comfort. 

The exorcist knew that if he so much as sat on the bed, he would be out in an instant. So, determined to stay awake he took a journal and wrote what he’d learned of the Primo Geovishap while it was still fresh in his mind. He sat at the desk and began writing. 

Chongyun neglected to put it the intel he gathered in the Field Guide to Demons and Beasts for the simple fact that it wasn’t an evil spirit, therefore having no use to other exorcists. Even still, the information could still be useful to someone at some point, so writing it down for future reference was always a good idea. 

The exhaustion plaguing Chongyun’s body made the task take much longer than it usually would. Not to mention, he had a lot of information to write down. One could learn many things in the midst of combat. He was just finishing up his last sketch of the Geovishap, when he noticed it was now dark outside. 

I guess it’s time to order the tofu, he thought. 

Repeating the same process as last time, Chongyun was now sitting on the balcony of the Wangshu Inn, Xiao’s food in front of him, and Prithiva Topaz in hand. He was fighting with his own body to stay awake as he sat, waiting for the adeptus. 

He opted to look out towards the glistening starlit sky as a distraction. Chongyun always loved the night, it was cooler and easier to work in compared to the sunny days of Liyue. And who in their right mind disliked the stars? Sure evenings had their downsides, like the increased ability for evil spirits to be about, but Chongyun wanted to find one, so that wasn’t really a problem. 

A light breeze moved through the air, cooling the exorcist's skin. He closed his eyes for a moment, almost forgetting what he was outside for.  It really was quite pleasant. 

“So you came back, human.” 

Chongyun's eyes shot open. 

The sound came from his right. He directed his gaze there after a moment, suddenly feeling much more alert than before. His vision was a bit blurry due to the sleepiness, so he had to squint his eyes to see who spoke, but in all reality there was only one being who it could've been 

 Xiao's figure standing obscured in the shadows, but it was clear his head was turned towards the horizon. 

Standing, Chongyun simply looked at the adeptus. It wasn’t awe, as compared to their first conversation. He honestly didn’t know why he stood in silence. In fact, he wasn’t really able to process much of anything. So, he simply waited for the other to speak again. 

Xiao side eyed the exorcist and huffed. 

“Let me guess, you want to ask me to give you an easier task to prove your worth? Well it’s not going to happen, so just leave and stop wasting my time. Vanquishing evil was never a task fit for you mere mortals anyways. I-” 

The adeptus was interrupted by a hand wrapping around his wrist. He almost went to summon his polearm to fend off whatever was trying to attack him, but something was placed in his palm, and the hand let go. Xiao looked at the item given to him, and his eyes widened ever so slightly in shock. 

Chongyun didn’t have the energy to examine the figure before him’s reaction. So, he just silently awaited Xiao’s response in a similar way to before. He learned last time that the adeptus was not the easiest to speak with, so he hoped his approach paid off. 

When Xiao did bring his eyes from the topaz to the exorcist, he didn’t yet say anything. His expression was… concerned? Shocked? Maybe even a bit awe struck? Chongyun couldn’t really tell. 

“Did you really get this from a Primo Geovishap?” Xiao asked, skeptical. 

“Yes.” 

Xiao looked over the crystal once again. It was definitely real. Then he finally took the time to examine Chongyun. He did… not look okay, to say the least. 

His hair was a mess, and the expression on his face was blank and almost far away. Not to mention the scratches on his jaw and cheek. With his arm guards now removed, only partially healed electrical scarring traced his hands and his arms, and a bit on his ankles too. It didn’t take half a brain to realize he was injured in several other places as well. 

Xiao sighed, “Listen mortal, while this feat is impressive, it doesn’t guarantee I’ll train you.” 

“Whatever I need to do will be done.” Unmistakable determination came through in Chongyun’s voice. He didn’t care if he had to fight ten more giant monsters. He was going to prove his worth, and learn from Xiao no matter what. He wouldn’t sleep for another week if he had to.

The distant look in the exorcist’s eyes was gone, now replaced with a spark. The adeptus seemed to think for a moment. That was followed by a silent decision. 

Without another word, Xiao approached the Special Almond Tofu, and sat in front of it. Chongyun took a moment before he returned to his previous seat. There was silence, only interrupted by the quiet sound of food being eaten. Then Xiao spoke. 

“So, why does a mortal like you want to learn from me?” His tone wasn’t friendly or anything of the like. It wasn’t mocking either. 

The exorcist almost smiled, because was Xiao actually hearing him out? “Like I said the first time we met, I’m an exorcist from Liyue Harbor. I’ve heard stories about you my entire life, and your feats are unmatched. If I could be your apprentice, I could become strong enough to complete my goal of vanquishing all evil from this world.” 

“That’s a bullshit reason.” 

 Chongyun nearly choked on air. Because, did the Conqueror of Demons, Adeptus Xiao just call his reasons for wanting to be trained bullshit ? “I-I’m sorry, I don’t seem to understand.” 

Finishing his meal, Xiao replied “You don’t want to be like me. So I’ll ask again, why would a human like you want me to train them?” 

“I need to be stronger to become the best exorcist in Liyue. Then I’ll be able to defeat all evil, and protect people.” Chongyun tried. He wasn’t exactly sure what Xiao was asking. He did want to be like the adeptus, he was able to kill demons. Why wouldn’t an exorcist want the capability to do that? 

“Fine,” Xiao stood, he almost looked disappointed. “Then you’re just like all the other idiots who try to do my job. So give up, and don’t get in my way anymore then you already have.” The adeptus stood on the railing and summoned his weapon. 

He looked about two seconds away from leaving when Chongyun panicked. His heart rate suddenly picked up, and pure adrenaline fueled his actions.  This was his chance, and he wasn’t going to waste it. 

 Moving as fast as he could, the exorcist stood up and jumped over the table. When he was close enough, Chongyun grabbed Xiao's wrist, much more aggressively than he had before. “Wait,” he said much more weakly than he wanted. Even his vocal chords seemed to be tired. 

Xiao jumped back onto the balcony from where he was standing, landing right in front of Chongyun. He had a deadly look in his eyes. “Then give me a good reason to train you.” 

“I-” Chongyun choked on his words. He didn’t want to admit it, but it seemed he had no other choice. 

Xiao’s look somehow grew more threatening. “Well?”

“I… I’ve never been good enough.” Chongyun started, his brain screaming at him to stop, yet somehow he couldn’t “Not just for others, but for myself too. I can’t seem to do anything right... no matter how hard I try.” He laughed in self pity, “I’m an exorcist who has yet to see an evil spirit before. 

“It feels like all the work I’ve done my entire life hasn’t resulted in anything. I… I thought.” Chongyun didn’t even really know what he was saying anymore. He just kept talking. “I thought that if I trained hard enough, I could improve, but it hasn’t worked. That’s why-” The exorcist paused, gathering his thoughts. 

“You aren’t an exorcist, so what you could teach me could actually be useful. Your greatness and fortitude could make up for my inevitable failure… That’s why I want you to train me.” 

And silence followed. Deafening silence that made Chongyun want to scream. Because what use could a sob story like that serve? Xiao probably thought he was pathetic now. He probably wasn’t afraid of anything, no self doubts, no regrets, and a constitution that let him do his job. 

Truly, what did a human like him think he was worth in the eyes of an adeptus? 

Chongyun took a deep breath to keep from panicking, about five seconds away from just going home and giving up, like Xiao suggested. But then the already familiar voice came. 

“Meet me near the yaksha statues near The Golden House in two days at dawn. Our training starts then, mortal.” 

Chapter Text

Chongyun returned to Liyue harbor to prepare for his training. He still couldn’t believe it. 

Xiao agreed, he actually said yes to my request, the exorcist repeated to himself time and time again. If he didn't, he might’ve thought it was all some fever dream. 

The first thing Chongyun did when he returned home was drink another of the healing potions he bought. Leaving a lot of the product he bought home for future use seemed like a good idea, but in retrospect, he should've brought more. He had also slept for 14 hours at the Wangshu Inn, so Chongyun had plenty of energy for the alchemy to take full effect. 

The fight with the Primo Geovishap left him feeling odd. It’s almost like it never really happened in a way. Maybe because he was close to death for about half of the battle, or maybe it was something else. Chongyun wasn’t really sure, but he hoped he could move on from it like he did any quarrel with monsters. 

All that was really left were scars, and a bit of numbness in his hands. Like everything he touched was a little less there, but not gone by any means. Nothing worth worrying about. All the injuries he got could probably be blamed on impulses due to his yang-energy, or instances where he had to focus on suppressing it. So many mistakes during his battle could've been prevented if he just remained a little more in control.  

The exorcist rested for a bit during his day home, but the lack of training made him antsy. He could be improving, he could be getting stronger instead of wasting his time sitting around. Xiao had been fighting off demons for over a millennia, there was no time for rest when evil could be vanquished. Even still, Chongyun had the sense to let himself regain energy for training with the adeptus. 

At some point, he remembered his promise to Xingqiu, and didn’t want to risk vanishing for another long while, especially after telling him that he was fighting the Geovishap. Xingqiu as well as the others needed to know he was okay, because he was. For all Chongyun knew, his friend could've told everyone about what he did, and if no communication was made, they could all very well think he died. 

It was dusk when the exorcist went out to the Wanmin restaurant. The setting sun painted Liyue Harbor's sky in a wide array of eye catching colors. Any small glimpse of the ocean would show how the light reflecting on the water. It was a view that never really got old, or at least to Chongyun. He'd witnessed the sunset countless times while training on beaches near the harbor Even while working though, he always appreciated the scenery. 

Hopefully one of his friends would around to talk, because if not he wouldn't really know what to do. Maybe leave a note or something along those lines. It's kind of hard to say, 'Hi, I'm not dead,' on paper though, especially without context. Luckily, as he got close to the building, Chongyun saw that Xiangling was working instead of being off on one of her many expeditions for exotic ingredients. She was cooking something in the kitchen, a concentrated look on her face, as well as some flour actually.

The spicy aromas were recognizable from a mile away, but their robustness really came out whenever the esteemed chef was in the kitchen. The exorcist was cautious as he got closer to the fragrance, just incase it could set off his yang energy. He could never be too careful. 

When Xiangling caught sight of her blue haired friend, she immediately dropped whatever she was doing- figuratively and literally -to go out and meet the other. She ran over to him with a mix of many emotions, but for the most part she seemed happy, much to the exorcist's relief. 

“Chongyun!” She called, before she tackled him into a hug, nearly knocking him over. Xiangling's death grip as as tight as ever. “You scared me for a bit back there!” 

She continued to squeeze the life out the other, making it nearly impossible for him to say anything. When she finally let go, Chongyun was about to start explaining things, then he was slapped rather aggressively clean across the face. That definitely got a few looks from passersby's on the street.

“I hope you know you deserved that," Xiangling said, bluntly. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave the other an expectant look. 

“Yes, I know,” Chongyun said shamefully, rubbing his reddened cheek.

With that conformation, Xiangling smiled once again. “Good. So, why’d ya’ come by? Wait wait, let me guess: You’re looking for Xingqiu?” Chongyun nodded. “I knew it. And well, I hate to break it to you, but he's out on family business right now.” 

“Oh,” Chongyun put oh so eloquently. 

The chef put her hands on her hips, “Is somebody sad he can’t see his best friend? It’s alright, he won’t move on that quickly,” her tone truly was mocking, and the exorcist couldn't help but blush a little. 

“Could you just tell him I’m not dead?” Chongyun asked. That was what he came here to do, because if he could do anything, he could keep a promise. 

“Not sure why he’d think that considering he was the one you saw last, but why can’t you just tell him yourself? Xingqiu should be back tomorrow.” The chef pressed with genuine confusion.  

So he didn’t tell the others about the Geovishap, He noted. Chongyun rubbed the back of his neck, almost a bit embarrassed to answer Xiangling's question. He didn't want to make it seem like he was making excuses to avoid hangout with people. He just had priorities. Chongyun wanted to be able to protect all the people of Liyue from evil spirits, especially his friends. That wouldn't be possible if he didn't wok for it. “I’m uh… I’ll be training.” 

Xiangling rolled her eyes, mock annoyed. “Of course you will. Y’know, you’ve been doing that a lot lately, even for you,” Xiangling thought out loud, putting her hand on her chin. “Well, I’ll be sure to tell him and anyone else who asks. I'm sure people will be happy to know you're alive,” She redirected her eyes to Chongyun, and looked him over. 

“Thanky-” He was interrupted by a hand snatching his face. Xiangling had an iron grip on his jaw, and turned the exorcists face side to side while examining it carefully. Chongyun was beyond confused by her sudden actions. 

After a bit, she let go and squinted at the other. The exorcist suddenly felt very judged, and he wasn’t sure how to react. This situation was extremely awkward and uncomfortable now, especially with all the strange looks they were definitely getting. Alas, he couldn't just leave. Could he? No, Xiangling would probably hunt him down if he even tried to run off in the middle of a conversation. After what felt like an eternity, she finally let go, and Chongyun relaxed a bit. 

Then, the chef spoke up, “I never noticed that scar on your cheek before, but hold on!” She returned her hand to her friends face, and he immediately tensed up once again. This time she tilted his head up and to the side a little bit, examining his jaw. “Are these new?” 

Chongyun gently used the back of his own hand to push Xiangling’s away. “Yes, I got them during recent outings,” he didn’t see why it was such a big deal, injuries were common amongst his entire friend group. Most of the time they were never a big deal. Sure, he's never gotten hurt as bad as he did recently, but still. 

“Oh, okay,” She hesitantly moved on. Before turning to return to the Wanmin Restaurant, Xiangling carefully looked over her friend. Her expression wasn't quite peaceable, but she put on a smile before saying, “I better get back to work, have a good night Chongyun.” 

“You too,” and with that, Xiangling walked away with a friendly wave. Chongyun began the short journey back home lost in thought. The sun was now well below the horizon, only it's fading light illuminating The City of Contracts. The first stars made their way into the sky, and Chongyun walked under them. Sometimes, he couldn't help but feel small under the vast night sky. In a world where gods could walk among men, it was almost difficult to feel significant. Being worth something was something the exorcist was sure he had to work to become. 

Now that his friends knew he was okay and that he’d be gone for a bit, all he had to worry about was Xiao’s training; his chance to be something more. 

And worry he did, all night in fact. He tossed and turned in his bed, anxiously awaiting the next day. A unmistakable fear sat in his stomach. One missed day of training could potentially deteriorate his skills. Tomorrow was arguably one of the most important days of his life; it could make or break his position with Xiao. By some blessing from the archons, Chongyun was able to squeeze in roughly six hours of sleep, and he could’ve gotten more if he didn’t wake up two hours before the sun rose. That wasn’t even intentional, believe it or not. 

He had a nightmare. The loud thundering footsteps of a giant monster, another one he had to fight. Then his parents told him he wasn’t doing it right, or something? The memories of it were hazy, and all Chongyun knew was that he woke up right before he was killed in the dream. It might've been for the better though, he wasn't particularly sure he wanted to remember such a dream.  

When the exorcist awoke, he had to take several minutes to calm down. Deep breaths, he reminded himself. Unconscious musings of the mind couldn't hurt you if you don't believe they're real. By the time his heart rate was stable, Chongyun wasn’t tired, and it was too late to go back to sleep anyways. It was for the better he got up that early. So, he stood from his bed to get dressed. 

Even in the dim lighting of his room, it was impossible not to notice the large, discolored line across his torso. Chongyun looked in the mirror to examine the patch. In all honesty, he was almost proud of it in a way. Absent mindedly, he lightly ran one hand over it. The texture of his fingertips and the skin there was the same. Contact between areas of damaged nerves was strange, like he only knew it was happening because he could see it going on in the mirror. 

The exorcist pushed such musings to the side, and continued to get dressed. After which, he departed to the main area of the house. 

It was quiet, the early stillness of his home held a certain melancholy Chongyun couldn’t quite place. It felt unreal. A lot of things did recently, even long before this whole affair. A disconnection from reality, if you will. It couldn't be called a haze, but something close to it. 

Sometimes, the exorcist felt like if he didn’t keep improving, he’d just stop existing. A goal of vanquishing all evil wasn’t one that couldn't be achieved through long pauses, for when good rests, evil arises.  It was a predicament really, because how could improvement mean anything if you never get better? If it feels like you’re not the one improving at all? 

Recently, it was just one task leading to the next, but Chongyun had reached a temporary destination. He had to focus back on reality if he really wanted to move forwards. Clear his mind of all these intrusive thoughts and get a grip on what really mattered. So, the exorcist took a few deep breaths as he always did when he needed a bit of grounding. He was there, and he had a place to be. 

It was then when Chongyun realized he’d been standing in the middle of his living room for a solid five minutes. 

He ended up eating a quick meal, before taking his claymore, and heading off to the destination Xiao had requested. Despite the sun still being a ways from rising. The adeptus wasn’t too specific with that bit of information. He just said ‘at dawn’, so it was best not to risk being late. The environment was quiet, but not unnervingly so. It was peaceful is anything. 

When Chongyun got to the yaksha statues, Xiao wasn’t there. That made sense though, dawn was still a bit away. He’d show up in time, Chongyun assured himself. 

The exorcist wasn’t really sure what to do there, he could start his usual workouts, but he wanted to keep up his energy in case Xiao had something like that planned. But, if he didn't, things would be much harder without any sort of warm up. Eventually, Chongyun compromised with himself and decided upon doing stretches so he was prepared for anything. 

Once he finished those as the sun finally began rising. Large shadows were slowly being cast across the land. The exorcist and moved on to practicing a few standard techniques with his claymore when he felt that familiar breeze. Stopping to look around, Xiao was still nowhere to be seen. Maybe it really was just the wind that time. With that conclusion, Chongyun continued his work. 

Using a weapon was but second nature at this point. It skillfully and swiftly through the air like it was nothing. Chongyun had been polishing his own techniques for years to get them where he wanted. Even with the new state of his hands, maneuvering the claymore was like clockwork. Yet, he still worked to improve. It's funny how people work so hard for perfection that they forget everything else sometimes. Something so unobtainable, yet so motivating in the most mind consuming way possible. 

It took a loud thud from behind the exorcist the break the concentration of his sword work. Without a second thought, he turned and held his weapon in a fighting stance, only to be met with the presence of the very person he was waiting for. 

“Adeptus Xiao,” Chongyun quickly cast his sword away and examined his teacher. 

Xiao pushed himself off the ground from a kneel, polearm planted in the earth below. As he stood, he grasped the weapon and spun it to hold in a more practical way. Aside from the razor sharp jade weapon in his hand, the most notable part of Xiao’s current appearance was the mask adorned to his face. 

It was a dark turquoise, matching his hair. Despite the light, the eyes seemed to be glowing. The adeptus wasn’t all too intimidating on his own, specifically due to his height and human appearance, but the mask certainly took away some of that humanity many would think he had. 

Rather than greeting Chongyun back, Xiao just grunted while he strode over. 

“I’ll await any instruction you have. Also, last time we spoke I didn’t have the opportunity to thank you for giving me a chance. I promise I’ll be a worthy apprentice,” said the exorcist. While he was talking, Xiao walked right past him and didn’t look like he had any intention of stopping. 

Chongyun blinked, and turned to the other figure. He had to jog a bit to catch up with the adeptus’ hasty pace. It was only when he was at his side when the teen continued. “I have the full intent to take this endeavor seriously so I can improve under your instructi-” 

“Be quiet.” 

The mask somehow didn’t muffle Xiao’s harsh words at all. The message went through loud and clear to Chongyun. So, he shut his mouth and followed Xiao quietly.  

Bird songs and the sounds of bugs filled the silence. The humid morning hair gave a wet coolness that really was quite nice. Occasionally, one of the two walking would step on a stick, the crack slicing through a subtle tension, that in all honesty was mostly one sided. 

Xiao was happy with silence, and Chongyun usually was too. But this was different. He’d barely spoken with the adeptus since they met, and it felt a bit odd not to be acquainted with him. With clients, Chongyun was speaking with people , so any excessive conversation wasn’t necessary. But Xiao was practically a god, it almost felt wrong to be in comfortable silence with him. Perhaps that longing was just a hopeless want to break the barrier that the exorcist was sure separated the two. 

Being any form of comfortable around the adeptus was difficult when he was wearing his mask. Thinking, Chongyun realized he had yet to get a good look at Xiao’s face. Evening shadows always obscured his features in the past, the only noticeable feature were his golden eyes that Chongyun swore glowed. 

Maybe it was intentional, he considered. 

A few more minutes of silent walking led the pair just far enough away from a hillychurl camp to not be noticed. The teacher turned to his student. “Go kill them,” Xiao instructed, pointing to the creatures. He sounded calm, yet assertive. A tone that was almost impossible to say no to. 

“Pardon?” Chongyun queried. 

“I said, go kill them. You wanted me to train you right?” The question was clearly hypothetical, but just in case, Chongyun gave a small nod. “So, do as I say," his tone was the same as before, and in all reality, Chongyun would've preferred him sound angry. Xiao didn't seem cold or distant, which was almost a part of the problem. He was just so entirely there, it was a bit off putting.  

Hesitant, the exorcist summoned his claymore, and approached the enemies as instructed. He had confidence in his step, for battle was always something he was sure he was good at. Not good enough but still, good. With each stride, he was sure it would be an easy enough task. Xiao was excellent in the face of battle, so Chongyun was sure he had good reason for his instruction. 

The hillychurls noticed his presence soon enough, and made quick work to rush the exorcist. He took a deep breath, holding his ground. Just when the creatures got close enough, he channeled cryo into his blade, muttered a few short words, and slammed the blade down to summon a spirit blade. 

Everything after that was like child's play. Chongyun swiftly disposed of all the creatures, not even getting a scratch. All the while Xiao just watched from a distance. The exorcist could almost feel the gaze boring into him, almost like he was doing everything wrong. 

That simply made him work with more precision. Whatever the adeptus was thinking, Chongyun saw this as an opportunity to show him of his capabilities, despite already proving his worth with Xiao’s initial trial. He was watching this time, so mistake's weren't an option. 

After the last hillycurl was slain, Chongyun looked over his carnage. The hillychurl’s bodies disintegrated into nothing like they always did. The exorcist remained in a stance for a moment, soon casting away his weapon to breathe. Through his years of training, he put much effort into learning how to defeat opponents mercifully. His goal was to vanquish evil, not make it suffer. 

“Alright human, come with me.” Xiao’s voice rang from behind Chongyun. The sound of quick footsteps soon followed. 

The apprentice turned to see his master continuing on the path. He really wasn’t one for waiting, was he? Honestly, Chongyun could respect that trait in anyone. Evil waits for no one, he concluded. So, only a bit less on edge now, the exorcist followed the demand. 

The two went on for what was probably half an hour before they came up upon a much larger hillychurl camp. During the walk, not a word was spoken between the pair. Golden rays of the morning sun shone upon the landscape. It would soon make things grow significantly hotter and Chongyun almost regretted not bringing his parasol. But, he’d manage. 

“Kill them,” Xiao instructed similarly to last time as he came to a halt. Chongyun simply nodded, and summoned his weapon once again. He was about to approach the camp, when the adeptus spoke again. “Where did you get that sword?” 

Chongyun was a little shocked at Xiao initiating a conversation, especially considering how menial the question seemed. Even still, he answered, "It was a gift from my parents, given to me when I made enough progress in my martial arts to use a blade of it’s stature. It has encryptions carved into it to aid in exorcisms.” 

Xiao paused for a moment, and even with his eyes covered by the mask, Chongyun could tell he was looking at the claymore. “Let me see," he requested. 

The exorcist thought for a moment of what Xiao was going to do. It was unlikely to be anything bad, so with mild caution, he handed over the sword. Despite Xiao himself using a light weapon, the weight of the claymore didn’t seem to affect him whatsoever. Did adepti have super strength? Chongyun’s mind budded in. 

Xiao took a few steps back and gave the thing a few mindless swings, keeping his vision locked on the blade. His form was a bit messy, but that was by Chongyun's standards. Afterwards, he examined the hilt closely, probably in search of the encryptions. Perhaps he was just trying to figure out the quality of the sword. Claymores and polearms were about as different as two melee weapons could be. 

Next, Xiao channeled anemo energy into it with his own vision, and swung it towards nothing in particular with his back to Chongyun. It didn’t do anything fancy, just sent off a short gust of wind. “Huh,” Xiao put quietly. It was unclear if his reaction was because of the nature of the weapon itself, or to claymores in general. In all his years, he had to have used one before this, right? 

The adeptus turned around again, then looked at the exorcist, who looked back at him with a questioning gaze. Just then he thought he was going to get his claymore back, Xiao casually dropped it on the ground next to him with a thud. 

Chongyun simply stood there, not quite sure if he fully processed what happened. Was he supposed to pick up his sword, or..? 

Just then, Xiao looked around carefully until his gaze locked onto a nearby tree that he made his way over to it. Looking up towards the branches, seemingly searching for something particular he paused. With a target acquired, Xiao boost himself up with some anemo energy, and grabbed hold of a sturdy looking branch. He planted his feet against the main trunk, and struggled for a bit before doing some sort of backflip maneuver to pull the large stick off. 

With an effortless landing, Xiao looked over at his prize, not yet satisfied. He took the branch in both hands, and gave it a few hearty whacks against the tree’s trunk, breaking off any exes sticks or twigs. 

Chongyun thought he could have been dreaming as the Conqueror of Demons, Adeptus Xiao walked over with a broken off tree branch, and shoved it towards his student. “Kill them using this,” and despite everything, he still held that same calm and assertive tone. 

“I-uh…” The exorcist didn’t know what to say. “Pardon my confusion, Adeptus Xiao, but could I ask why?” 

“You have a vision, use it,” was all he answered with.

That didn’t really solve anything, “Would it not be foolish to rely on that rather than my own blade?” Chongyun questioned, taking a breath to stay calm. He wasn’t mad, or even annoyed. The reason he wouldn’t be calm is because he was daring questioning Xiao’s teaching, and he didn’t know if it was foolish to do so. 

“You’re already proficient with your sword, human. To improve, you need to get better with what you’re bad at.” Xiao clarified bluntly. 

Chongyun was about 90% sure Xiao just said he was bad at using his vision for combat. But, the adeptus was more than capable in his field, so who was Chongyun to question that? The Conqueror of Demons couldn't possibly be wrong in this area of expertise. He seemed more sure of his words then Chongyun could ever hope to be himself  “I understand.” 

And so, the teen took the branch from his mentors clutches. It felt significantly lighter than his claymore, but still had enough heft to be usable. There was also no distinguishable handle, and the rough bark gave it an uncomfortable grip. It would function more like a club than a sword, and not a very good club at that. 

He swung the makeshift weapon, and the weight distribution was very much not okay, how could anyone fight with something like this? “Adeptus Xiao, with all due respect, I don’t believe it’s possible for me to defeat those hillychurls with this.” 

“We won’t move any further in your training until you do.” Xiao replied without a moment of hesitation. He probably anticipated the response.  

Defeated, Chongyun closed his eyes and took a breath before turning to face the hillychurl camp properly. He tried to preemptively channel the cryo into the branch, but rather than going through it like it would a metal claymore, it around it. This resulted in it being covered in a layer of cryo energy. He could work with that. 

Steadying his breath and trying not to panic, Chongyun entered the camp. 

About five minutes later, the exorcist was flung backwards by a mitachurl for about the fourth time. Xiao just stood there watching as his student got the shit beaten out of him. At least he didn't seem to be enjoying the sight. Just tentatively watching the fiasco that played out before his eyes. 

“You’re injured,” the adeptus commented as Chongyun lay on the ground next to him. It was nothing fatal, but he had many scratches and bruises littering his body. Many of which weren't noticeable because of the exorcists clothing, but it didn't take a genius to know he was hurt. 

Chongyun, of course, stood up again. “It’s just a scratch,” he was a bit annoyed, but still determined. Remaining calm was essential. All he had to do was chip away at the enemy until they were defeated, it worked with more powerful foes, so it could work here too. 

Xiao simply hummed in recognition as Chongyun re-entered the camp yet again. 

His attacks and strategies didn’t seem to be changing one bit. The form was clearly well practiced and precise. Hitting enemies at their weak points, and taking advantage of any opening. Chongyun was perceptive of his surroundings while never getting too comfortable. Every move was well calculated. The exorcist truly was a skilled fighter. 

But all that expertise meant nothing if he couldn’t be flexible. 

Chongyun finally managed to break a mitachurls shield, and he was preparing to summon a several spirit blades to attack. The hit was a success, and the beast seemed close to defeated. The exorcist was about to take the opening and finish it off with his makeshift weapon, but then he felt something running towards him. 

Before he could react, Chongyun was charged by another mitachurl, and was on the ground. The branch was knocked out of his hand and just out of reach from the position. As the exorcist sat there, watching the creature about to pounce on him and probably rip out all of his organs- did mitachurls do that? -Chongyun couldn’t really think of much other than his impending doom. Perhaps not even that, for the fact that his life was potentially seconds away from ending didn't have time to set in. 

Right before his fate was sealed, a gust of wind cut through the air, and the mitachurl was gone. Chongyun, now at least somewhat certain he wasn’t going to die, sat up and quickly located his branch. He wasn’t sure what that wind was, but he wasn’t going to ask questions. The adrenaline was still running through his veins, and if he didn't stop, he wouldn't go into shock. He hardly even noted the strong bursts of air that were coming from behind him. 

The exorcist turned back to the battle, hitting a stance ready to keep going, only to be met with a shocking sight. More shocking then that of his near death experience.

All of the enemies were dead, their bodies already disintegrating into nothing. Not a single beast unaccounted for. It was horrifying in a way, just how quickly they were vanishing into nothing when just a moment ago they were alive; alive and ready to kill. Now they were reduced to nothing but a form fading into nothingness. It was a unreal sight, because how could they simply be gone? It was a massacre that happened in an instant, nobody getting to bare witness to the battle.  

In the center of it all stood Xiao, taking one last swipe at a hillychurl with his polearm.

It fell to the ground with a lifeless thud. 

There was no sound that followed. Xiao was still, completely unmoving, it didn’t even look like he was breathing. Compared to all the fading life, he still seemed so entirely real. Maye more then ever. The adeptus was looking down at the creatures whose life he ended. He was so calm, and Chongyun finally understood why so many were weary of the name Xiao. 

He seemed so far from human, but then again, he wasn’t. He’d seen and experienced things humans couldn’t even fathom. So far from the society he swore to protect. An immortal being who was fated to conquer demons because nobody else had the strength. That merit a burden that nobody else could handle. He was capable of so much destruction, something that some wouldn't be able to fathom of they didn't witness it first hand. He hid away from the world because they didn't need to see all this fighting, all this darkness that had to exist to preserve the illusion of light. Xiao wasn't human, and he needed to be that way for the sake of everyone who was. 

At that moment, despite everything, Chongyun couldn’t help but feel envious. Such strength, such vigor, he truly was made to do what he does. But what of an exorcist who could never seem to do what he needed to? How could he even compare to such a being? The simple answer was that he couldn’t. Yet here he was training under an adeptus. Could he ever grow string enough to carry such responsibility. 

Protection was needed in a world of so much evil, and that was something the exorcist strove to be. 

Xiao finally turned his head ever so slightly so that he could face Chongyun. The eyes on the mask seemed to be glowing brighter than before, and that just added to the already intimidating aura. A violent. nearly debilitating chill ran through his entire body. 

“We’ll continue tomorrow at the same time and place, human. Don’t be late.” With another gust of wind, the adeptus was gone. 

The trip home for Chongyun was one filled with self pity and frustration. 

He should’ve been stronger, faster, more adaptable. He did a great job at humiliating himself in front of Xiao, and he probably had even lower expectations than before. It’s just that Chongyun didn’t want to put all of his trust in his vision. He needed to continue improving in his martial arts and thaumaturgy to become a better exorcist. Xiao didn't put all of his trust in his vision, but he was far more capable of using it the exorcist supposed.  

So why? Why was someone as skilled in combat as Xiao insistent that he use his favor from the gods as his most powerful asset? Was it some sort of test to see how proficient Chongyun was with different weapon types? If it was that, it didn’t make sense for Xiao to have him use a stick instead of another actual weapon. Was it because the adeptus was on the same level as the gods that he saw their strength necessary for a mortal to succeed?  

It all felt so impractical, yet Xiao was insistent. Chongyun just needed to work harder it seemed. He still had the branch with him, just in case. After all, his training would apparently not go any further until he could defeat a hillychurl camp with the makeshift weapon it seemed. 

By the time Chongyun arrived home, it was mid afternoon. He prepared himself some cold noodles and drank a large amount of water to make up for what he hadn’t consumed all day. The training was tedious on its own, but the burning rays of the sun mixed with Liyue’s hot humid climate was almost unbearable. An abundance of yang energy felt like it would forever be a burden in the way of improvement. 

Afterwards, he went through the books on various weapon techniques that were scattered throughout his household. Anything new he could learn would be useful, especially with such an odd and unconventional weapon. It was wishful thinking to believe something about using a tree branch as a replacement for a proper claymore would be out there somewhere. 

Because of the weapon, Chongyun’s hands were also injured. He didn’t notice how badly until he got home due to the already present numbness. To prevent this while training in the future, the exorcist took the liberty of wrapping one end of the large stick in tape. There was also the issue of channeling cryo into the thing, but that would be better practiced then researched. Maybe another modification would help. 

By late afternoon, Chongyun felt he did all the preparations he could for training the next day. Well, almost. If Xiao was going to stay true to his word and not move on until Chongyun could emerge victorious in a fight, then he would have to work on his own time. Training was something as routine as breathing to him at this point, so that’s what he would do. 

Earning even an ounce of respect from Xiao would be a task, even if the training had already begun. Chongyun didn’t just want to become stronger, he wanted to prove that he was worthy of doing so. He had to work to make the most of this opportunity, or Xiao could very well leave him behind. 

Chapter Text

The next morning Chongyun got to the yaksha statues slightly later than he had the pervious one. He brought the stick- Branch? Weapon?  He wasn't even sure himself -which was in significantly different shape than yesterday. Along with the bandage for the handle, there were two strips of metal tape running along it. Those were picked up from the blacksmith so Chongyun’s cryo energy would actually have something to flow through, rather then just cover the object. A bit of the bark on the branch was also broken off from the exorcist's own training. He was genuinely surprised it hadn't broken further then that.   

Chongyun stayed up far too late at a beach near Liyue training. He focused on freezing the water and shattering the ice that was formed. Without the extra heft of a claymore, it was far more difficult to get a swing that would break the ice. Instead, the exorcist had to focus on brute strength. He decided on this way of training to improve his abilities in using the branch to channel cryo, as well as to figure out attacks with it. He had already made improvements and wanted to prove that he did so to Xiao. 

When Chongyun awoke the next day, he knew he wouldn’t have enough energy for a full training session, especially if the previous one was anything to go off of. Luckily enough for him, there were still a few vials of that energy potion in him possession. One would certainly be enough to get him through the day, or at least just the training session. Often, he would opt for something such as iced tea or coffee for some extra energy, but the potions seemed to be much more effective. 

Despite his improvements in technique with the branch, and improvements to the object itself, Chongyun did bring his claymore, just in case.

As he left his home, the sky was shown to already be covered in a layer of cloud. It was thin enough to see the dim morning light, but ended up putting somewhat of a faded filter over the harbor. The air was humid, but not the usual muggy unpleasant way that it usually would. It was cool, and perhaps even crisp. A tell tale sign of rain to come later in the day. 

Keeping this observation in mind, Chongyun continued onward. Mornings in Liyue were far from busy, but not desolate. Many shop keepers and the like would be out and about early to set up for the day. The occasional ship would dock after a long night's voyage. While going through the harbor, the exorcist kept to himself. He was never too fond of random conversation with strangers, unless it was involving evil spirits of course. He remained observant, while still going over what he'd learned last night during training. 

Upon arrival at the yaksha statues, Xiao was once again not present. He didn't seem like the type to be late, so perhaps this was just coincidental. Despite the clear absence of another, Chongyun still felt like someone was around, perhaps the adeptus was hiding. He did have an uncanny way of showing out of seemingly nowhere, so who knows. Looking around, there was nothing to be seen, but then the exorcist brought his gaze to the front once again. it was if he predicted it, for Xiao was now leaning against one of the yaksha statues.

He had his arms crossed over his chest, and was looking straight ahead. His face still wore that mask. 

It was odd, because yesterday Chongyun felt almost overly excited to see his mentor, but today it was different. He didn’t feel bad about it, just not quite the same. Nothing really changed about him as a person, but maybe that was the issue. The fact that he was a person. A person training under an adeptus, it truly was a comically pathetic concept. Chongyun really was so incredibly human, and Xiao wasn’t. That was made perfectly clear. 

While he always admired the strength Xiao had, and respected his position as an adeptus, it was easy to wish for his strength. Divinity wasn’t what Chongyun strove for; rather, he wanted to be able to protect people in a similar fashion to that of a deity. Xiao always said to power of exorcists was trivial in comparison to his own, and despite Chongyun's previous convictions to that statement, the adeptus proved himself to be right. 

But, Chongyun wanted to become stronger, and that he would do. 

The exorcist stood there for a moment, and ended up taking a few slow steps towards his teacher. Xiao pushed himself to stand properly, and  hardly paid Chongyun any attention as he did so. The adeptus simply began walking in the same direction he did yesterday. As he walked, Xiao summoned his polearm, and spun it rest comfortably in his hand while walking.  

Chongyun took his teacher's movement as instruction to follow along, just like yesterday. Their pace was steady towards whatever location Xiao had in mind. Something the exorcist noticed about his teacher was that he walked fast, like really fast. Especially considering his shorter figure. Chongyun had gotten comments on his above average walking speeds from his friends before, but Xiao could very well be jogging with the speed he was at. 

That being said, the teen had to work to stay on pace. 

As they walked Chongyun was a bit hesitant in the decision to say something. Despite Xiao’s preference against conversation, saying nothing to him felt rude. “Good morning, Adeptus Xiao,” he said, tone remaining neutral. There, at least it was something. 

Xiao’s head lifted itself up a bit, but never turned to look at Chongyun. He was quiet for a moment, before letting out what could only be described as a huff. 

The exorcist would’ve been disappointed in the response if he expected anything more. That was the most acknowledgement from Xiao he’d gotten all day, so at least there was that. Chongyun did feel a bit worried though, simply because he felt he disappointed his teacher with his lack of capability yesterday. 

Looking up towards the sky, the exorcist noticed large clouds that seemed to be rolling in. Rain was sure to start falling soon, and that weather was welcome. The cooler it was the easier it would be to train. Another thing Chongyun noticed was that he felt a bit jittery. He didn’t feel nervous enough to be that way, so the only explanation could be the potion. 

Last time he had one, Chongyun felt about ready to pass out from exhaustion, so it made perfect sense that it would have different effects now. He just hoped the shakiness wouldn’t prevent him from working as hard as he could. It was probably nothing worth worrying about. 

So, the pair continued to walk in silence. But, unbeknownst to Chongyun, Xiao was taking careful note of his student’s body language, trying to get a read on him. He wanted to see his students reaction to his methods, but he was getting nothing. 

Eventually Xiao began to stray off the path, and Chongyun almost didn’t notice. He was lost in thought about various strategies and stared at the ground as he walked. Reviewing what he taught himself was imperative to executing the strategies effectively in battle. The only way he managed to follow Xiao was because he was still visible to the exorcist.  So, you could only imagine his surprise when he saw sand beneath his feet rather then the dirt of a path, or grass. He looked up to see a river in front of him. 

Chongyun turned his head to ask Xiao what they were doing on a river bank. Before he got the chance to, Xiao practically teleported to the other side with one swift motion and a gust of wind. The movement barely registered in Chongyun’s mind, and he simply looked in awe. How was he able to move so quickly? 

On the river bank, the adeptus took a moment to brush himself off, and gave his student a short glance. That felt like the first time he looked at the other since Chongyun arrived at the statues. Even with no expression to go along with the look, it still felt judging. Demeaning almost. 

Xiao stood patiently awaiting the other, even taking the time to send his polearm away. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited. 

Chongyun didn’t know what it was about that small gesture that set him off, but he almost felt a bit challenged. Competitiveness wasn’t something the exorcist was very familiar with, as he often avoided it for the sake of his yang energy. It was just something about the way Xiao stood there like Chongyun was about to take all the time in the world that made him want to cross that river as fast as possible. 

Despite everything he knew Xiao was, Chongyun didn’t want to be looked down upon. And if the Adeptus was playing some sort of mind game to get the exorcist moving faster, it was working. 

Taking one last look at his teacher, Chongyun summoned the branch and started to channel cryo into it. He wasn’t even sure if Xiao wanted him to use it here, but he was taking this whole thing as seriously as possible. If the adeptus wanted his student to be proficient at using a tree branch as a weapon, then he would do just that. 

With a single swift motion, Chongyun brought the object to the surface of the water freezing on contact. Looking at his work, the exorcist took a cautious step upon the newly created ice just to be sure it would support his weight. That wasn't often a concern as Chongyun was confident in his ability to channel cryo on a regular basis, but he didn't want to risk it this time around. Once is was confirmed that the ice was solid, he simply walked across the temporarily frozen river. 

Xiao had already continued forwards by the time the exorcist reached the shore.  

After some time, the pair reached a hillychurl camp. The sky had only darkened further, and the smell of rain was evident in the air. 

“You know what to do,” said Xiao. He stood off to the side, and looked towards the camp rather then Chongyun. His polearm was currently cast away, which could be seen as some kind of reassurance that he thought Chongyun could handle himself. 

The exorcist gazed at his teacher for a long moment. It felt odd to hardly be acknowledged. It’s easy to tell yourself that you don’t deserve recognition, that you’re less than others, and they shouldn’t even give you the time of day. That you're not worth being around until you make yourself that way. A strive to reach your own impossible standards to earn the attention you already have, but know you don't deserve. It’s easy to feel that way, but when someone actually does those things, when someone treats you the way you think you should be treated, it’s weird. 

A kind of sick reassurance that all those thoughts in your head that everyone tells you are intrusive, actually hold some value. 

Not wanting to get stuck in his own head again, Chongyun turned away from Xiao and towards the camp himself. Any sort of disdain written on his face was replaced with neutrality. The exorcist knew very well that emotions had no place in battle. Concentration and proper application of techniques was the best way to ensure a swift victory. 

Taking a deep breath and walking forwards with that stupid tree branch in hand gave Chongyun far too much deja vu. But things were going to be different this time, the exorcist wanted to be sure of that. But, he didn’t know if he could be. He noted that he was still a bit shaky, as his grip on the makeshift weapon wasn't as firm as he hoped it could be. Never the less, he continued towards the fight.  

The first hillychurls that were alerted of Chongyun’s presence took no time charging forwards to attack. Just a few feet in front of him, they began to senselessly swing their weapons. Skillfully dodging their advances, the exorcist flanked the two creatures and hit them with an attack charged with cryo. The force and suddenness of the hit sent both to the ground. Despite this, they already showed signs of getting back up. 

By then, all the other hillychurls and the like were alerted of the exorcists' presence. He began to channel cryo into the branch once again as shot was fired from a crossbow that hardly missed him, just brushing past the fabric of his overshirt. Chongyun turned towards the direction of the shot and raised the branch for an attack. 

While falling further into the midst of combat, he hardly even noticed as rain started to fall from the sky. The sun's light was blocked by a thick layer of cloud making the area far darken then it should be for a morning in Liyue. The weather only looked like it was going to get worse. This was no inconvenience to Chongyun, and in fact would aid him greatly in battle. 

Xiao kept his watch tentative, curious as to how the exorcist would take advantage of this opportunity. 

After taking care of yet another hillychurl, in favor of not getting shot by just kind of smacking the crossbow out of its hands, Chongyun spotted a mitachurl running in his direction. It's large frame was getting closer by the second, but b some miracle for the archons, it didn't have a shield. Knowing he wouldn’t have enough time to dodge this, Chongyun decided to do something that was probably stupid; no not probably, absolutely stupid. It would surely result in major injury or death unless it somehow worked. 

Pushing rationality aside, Chongyun ran straight towards the mitachurl. It was too late to dodge anyways. When it was mere feet in front of him, the exorcist took a breath, and jumped forwards. Time seemed to go in slow motion for a moment, as he placed his still shaky hands on the beast's shoulders while in the air. Using that leverage, Chongyun pushed himself forwards, and rolled down the creature's back. 

Landing in a kneel, he had to take a moment to sit there and process that his plan worked. He placed a quick hand on his chest to feel his racing heart beat, but that was already evident throughout his entire body. Looking around almost frantically for a moment, Chongyun realized that he had dropped his weapon, and made quick work to pick it up once he spotted it. 

From behind him, the exorcist heard the sound of one of his spirit blades hitting the ground. In that direction, the mitachurl that almost killed mere moments ago stood frozen solid. Determined, Chongyun rushed over to attack the creature in its vulnerable state.  

He was so occupied with that, he didn’t notice how one of the hillychurls he previously knocked out stood up and grabbed one of the crossbows that was laying on the ground. 

A messy shot was fired, and ended up hitting Chongyun just above his knee. 

He yelled out in pain, and kneeled as a reaction, despite the very much still alive hillychurls in front of him. He wanted to care, and he wanted to keep fighting it, but archons that hurt. How could he have been so foolish as to leave an opponent alive, just so he could get shot? The exorcist would’ve pondered such things as he was currently bleeding out and in large amounts of pain. 

Looking at where the object was lodged into his leg did not help. As Chongyun sat there, the pain only got worse, his brain further processing the events that just transpired. It was as if with every move of his body he could feel where the arrow was, and it hurt. Rain felt like it was turning into a full blown storm as the wind picked up. Still looking at the injury, Chongyun noticed red starting to stain his usual white pants, and that only made things worse. He had never been a particularly squeamish person, but he didn't exactly respond well to the sight of his own bleeding out. 

His breathing started to go from his usual controlled breaths to gasps of pain. Closing his eyes tightly, trying to push back the reactionary tears, but it was hard to focus on anything other then the arrow in his leg. The exorcist  tried to assure himself that he’d endured worse, and if he needed to keep fighting; keep training. Xiao expected him to do this, so he would. Just sitting there in pain wouldn't get anything done. 

His grip on the branch was tight as ever, and he opened his eyes. Chongyun used what strength he had left to stand, and hit the best fighting stance he could, fully prepared to continue the battle. But, there wasn’t an enemy in sight. He felt a familiar chill go down his spine as the shock of the situation set in. He was hardly on the ground that long, how could all of the hillychurls have been defeated that fast? The increasing wind from before had died down, leaving nothing before the exorcist. 

All that could be seen was Xiao was standing off to the side, polearm in hand. 

The adeptus must have noticed his student's gaze land on him, because he cast away his weapon. He walked over to Chongyun, still never quite looking at him. Once at the exorcist's side, he spoke. “Can you walk?” His tone neutral. 

Baffled, Chongyun nodded, not really thinking about his actions. Xiao had just taken out all of the remaining hillychurls, and he didn’t even seem tired. Even if Chongyun were able to use his claymore, it would still take some time and energy to take out an entire camp. Xiao looked no different from yesterday, the same calm, threatening aura that was impossible to ignore. The adeptus had such skill and vigor and composure in battle, it's something the exorcist could only wish to have.  

A millennia of fighting will do that to someone. 

Xiao walked until he was standing under a tree, and Chongyun limped along, eventually standing next to him. Every step hurt worse than the last, the exorcist’s breathing became more and more labored from the short trip. Once he was under the tree's cover, Chongyun felt like his legs were giving out. He sat -more so collapsed really- leaning against the tree trunk. 

Looking at his leg revealed a significantly larger amount of blood than before, and the arrow was still sticking out. His eyes widened at the sight, but that shock was interrupted but Xiao kneeling next to him. The adeptus examined the wound for a moment, probably assessing the damage to see what action needed to be taken. Afterwards, he seemed to ponder his next decision carefully, but it was hard to tell with his face still covered. 

After a long moment, Xiao reached his hand up to his face and removed his mask, quickly securing to his belt before looking back towards Chongyun’s leg. 

The person in question just looked in awe. The only thing he was really able to recognize were Xiao’s yellow eyes, that still looked like they were glowing, even in the dampened light of the rain storm. The rest of his face felt like a new sight, and Chongyun just kind of awkwardly stared at the face of his teacher, not knowing what to do with this new information. Xiao's human form always threw the exorcist off, especially now that his face was visible. That was the face of a human worn by an adeptus capable of slaying demons in a single blow.  

Xiao hardly noticed his student's tentative gaze as he further inspected his injury. It would have to be patched up before anything else, not that much else could happen before it was fully healed. The adeptus wasn’t exactly proficient in the art of treating wounds, he often ignored his and kept fighting, not that enemies . were able to injure him much anyways. They could be taken care of later, but alas, human bodies were more fragile than that of the adepti. 

Not even bothering to ask Chongyun, Xiao summoned a small knife and quickly cut off the bottom part of the younger’s pant leg to get better access to the gash. He didn’t seem to have much of a reaction to that. In fact, Chongyun looked pretty checked out, just staring blankly in the direction of Xiao’s face. 

He was soon snapped out of that daze rather aggressively by a jolt of pain going through his whole body, sprouting from his knee. "Augh," he shouted in pain. Chongyun looked towards the source of the agony, only to see no arrow there, only a open wound, and an arrow in Xiao’s hand. The adeptus was looking from the item back to Chongyun’s knee which was now bleeding far more then it previously was. The exorcist was a bit worried- if not very worried- because there didn’t appear to be a thought behind the eyes of the adeptus.

He would have said something, but he didn’t know what. Xiao had to know what he was doing, right? Of course, someone who has lived as long as he has had to know basic medical procedures. Especially one who was in as many battles as the Conqueror of Demons himself. If he found it necessary to just yank the arrow out of Chongyun's knee, that's what he should do. That lie played o repeat in the exorcists head. 

It was not the time to panic, so he focused on his pained breathing and getting that under wraps, rather than what Xiao was doing. 

Just what Xiao was doing he didn’t even know. Rain water worked to clean out wounds, right? Probably. It’s not like he had any medical supplies to do anything else. It should be clean enough considering it was falling from the sky. All Xiao had on him for any further medical treatment was a roll of bandages, but at least it was something. Taking another look at the injury on his students leg, the adeptus internally cringed. He took a moment before summoning the roll of bandages.

He went to wrap Chongyun’s knee, but a hand pushed his own away. 

“Wait,” Chongyun said, strained and very much still in copious amounts of discomfort. Despite this, he still sat up a bit and hovered a hand over the still open wound on his leg. Chongyun closed his eyes tight, concentrating far harder than he should have had to. The exorcist managed to seal his laceration in a layer of cryo, letting let his body relax as the numbing relief of the cold soothed him, if only a bit. Not to mention how he finally wasn’t losing blood. Speaking of which, he was a bit light headed, but (probably) not worryingly so. 

Xiao took that as his queue to bandage the injury. He worked as carefully as he could, keeping an uninterested look on his face as he did so. A great contrast from his surprise at his own action earlier. How was Xiao supposed to know what would happen if he pulled out the arrow? It's not like he'd been shot by one recently. 

Looking over the bandaged wound, now satisfied with his work, the adeptus stood and walked to another side of the tree, just within the bounds of Chongyun’s peripherals. 

The exorcist sat, a pain going through his knee every time his heart beat it seemed. But, luckily it was a bit more muted now. He just took deep breaths that would occasionally hitch when a spike of discomfort shot through his body. Focusing on the patter of the rain hitting the floor to ground himself, the occasional drop finding its way through the tree's cover and landing lightly on his skin. 

Distant thunder rumbled in the sky, creating an almost melancholy atmosphere. Most would consider this to be bad weather, but Chongyun always enjoyed the rain. The coolness it brought, the advantages it gave him in battle, and just the overall calming feeling it brought. However, it was hard to enjoy just about anything shortly after getting shot in the knee.

Through the underlying pain, Chongyun couldn’t help but feel like he failed again, because in all reality, he did. Xiao had to save him, yet again, and this time even helped the exorcist patch a simple injury. How could Chongyun ever think that he could vanquish all evil from the world if he couldn’t handle a few simple hillychurls? Either Xiao had a twisted faith in his student, or was just a fan of cruel jokes. These methods of teaching seemed so outlandish they just might work, but the emphasis was on 'might'. Then, a voice cut through his thoughts.  

“Focus on taking out the enemies one by one rather than crowd control. Your form isn’t adaptable enough, and you’re too set in your ways, human. Battle won’t always wait for you, and there’s not always going to be someone around to save you. Don’t make this a habit, or you could very well get yourself killed.” Xiao said from where he was standing, his tone harsh, but truthful. 

Chongyun grimaced at his mentor's sudden monologue. Despite this, he knew every word of criticism from Xiao was true, and he needed to take it to heart in order to improve. He was excellent in battle, so he had to know what was best. That's why Chongyun sought out this guidance in the first place. “I understand,” he replied, keeping any emotion he had out of his voice. 

“Go home, and we’ll continue tomorrow. You best start taking things more seriously, because I won’t always be so willing to save you,” light footsteps were heard, and the adeptus was now standing in front of his student, a hand pushed forward in an offer to help Chongyun up. 

He wasn’t sure how willing he was to take this hand, because what if it was a test. Xiao just told him that he wasn’t going to help in battle, so why would he help with something as mundane as standing up? Someone like the Conqueror of Demons himself wouldn’t need a hand to stand up, so why should Chongyun.  Not to mention that the exorcist was fully capable of standing, even in his current state. 

Chongyun wasn't sure what it was, but the gesture made him feel the same way Xiao's look from the other side of the river did. Like he was expected to need help. Despite how much he wanted to deny that truth, the exorcist knew that he did need the help of the adeptus. Not just to stand, but in general. Chongyun wasn't strong enough on his own, and never had the opportunity to get stronger because the evil spirits he targeted could very well be a figment of the imagination at that point. Xiao was willing to help train Chongyun, despite his constant failure, but would he be willing to help more? The answer to that question was unclear.

So, Chongyun ignored the offer, and stood up on his own. 

Xiao’s expression changed just enough to be noticeable. He looked confused, and maybe a bit surprised, or perhaps annoyed. Even without his mask on, it was still hard to read how he was feeling. In any other situation, Chongyun would have simply for the sake of being polite. This however, felt different. 

He didn’t deserve Xiao’s help. 

After hardly being acknowledged all day by the adeptus all day, what made him deserve it now? Nothing, or at least that’s how Chongyun felt. The recognition of an adeptus was something that had to be earned, and the exorcist did nothing but mess up today. He had to improve for Xiao’s approval, and he had to do it on his own. He was going to make himself with the effort of being trained, no matter what it took. 

From where he was standing, Chongyun looked Xiao dead in the eye. “I’ll take your criticism to heart, and see you tomorrow.” 

And with that, the exorcist started limping off, leaving Xiao to stand there in the rain.

Chapter Text

When Chongyun said he would take Xiao’s advice, he meant it. That was for certain. 

He had trudged home in the steadily pouring rain, drenched clothes weighing him down. Not nearly as much as the injury on his knee, however. Even with the cryo used to numb it, it was still throbbing. The trip back to Liyue Harbor was a treacherous one, each step making Chongyun's leg feel like it would better chopped off then agonizingly attached to his body. The exorcist had to stop to sit several times when he felt like passing out, or breaking down into sobs, sometimes both. If he ended up crying at one point, that was nobody's business but his own. 

By some stroke of ridiculous luck, Chongyun made it back to the harbor before sunset. He nearly collapsed on the floor as soon as the front door was shut behind him. He would've sobbed in relief, but there was no time for such things. In all reality, that would’ve been the more rational choice, but alas any stroke of rational thought was thrown out of Chongyun’s head the second he decided it would be a good idea to seek out Xiao’s training in the first place. 

So, instead, he dragged his own faltering body to his bedroom to find another healing potion. 

It really was a good idea to buy so many, even if it did cost a hefty some of mora, but the exorcist had no time to pat himself on the back. In fact, he would’ve neglected to use the potion because of the excessively painful process of their healing in favor of going to a proper healer if he had the time. But, not wanting to waste a second in his preparations for tomorrow, Chongyun figured he would endure a little more pain. 

After going through all he did during the fight with the Geovishap, the exorcist was certain he had a higher pain tolerance. Still, it's not like anyone would feel 100% A-Okay after being shot in the leg. And what of Chongyun's battle with that beast.  He’d felt so close to death that day, more so than ever before, actually. That notion held a certain sense of fucked up irony to the teen. All his life he wanted to find the evil spirits of the dead so he could remove them from this world. Because of his abundance of yang energy, death was never something Chongyun felt particularly close to. 

Yet, one of the very few times in his life he sought out a fight that wasn’t with an evil spirit, he was mere moments away from his own demise. Perhaps that's why Xiao looked down upon the power that exorcists held: because they were only proficient in fighting one thing. 

Any who, after taking the potion and allowing his leg to heal, Chongyun remembered that half of his pant leg was missing, and that  majority of his leg was still somewhat covered in blood. Luckily the rain washed some of it off. It was honestly surprising nobody had stopped him to ask if he was okay while he was traversing through the busy harbor. Then again, it wouldn't be the first time Chongyun walked through the city while injured.

Changing into some more practical clothes, Chongyun took the time to look at himself in the mirror once again. He seemed to be getting more scars every day, with a new very prominent one just added to his collection. It was odd, and almost a bit daunting he'd changed in such a short amount of time. If the exorcist would've looked at his current self a month ago, it was likely he would've fussed about not being careful enough in battle, as injures were completely unnecessary and easily avoided if you played your cards right. 

Now, it seemed that perhaps a bit in injury was needed for improvement. As Xiao said, Chongyun was too set in his ways, not adaptable enough. He'd become to well versed in the things he was capable of doing, it was as if he never strove to do something new. Getting guidance from an outside source might've been a good call after all, despite Xiao's less then conventional ways of teaching. The exorcist still had something to prove, so he didn't have any more time to get lost in his own introspection. 

He swiftly finished changing, and made sure he had everything necessary on him for some more training. Then, Chongyun was off, exiting his home through the front door. Well, he would’ve done that, but things were already going horribly enough for him that day, so a bit more inconvenience was to be expected. As the exorcist was leaving his house, he walked straight into his father, the older man towering over his son, as he was over 6'0'' and Chongyun was a whopping 5'4''. 

After recoiling, the young exorcist looked at the man, a bit disgruntled. He hadn’t really talked to either of his parents since they banned him from his work as an exorcist. They had been busy working, and Chongyun had been busy training. It wasn’t often all three were in the same room, even before recent ordeals. The teen was never particularly close with either of his parents, and he wasn’t particularly eager to talk to them anyways. That being said, his last impression of those who raised him wasn't a very good one, leaving tension to hang in the air. 

“Hello, Chongyun,” the exorcist's father greeted, a twinge of friendliness in his tone. For the most part however, he was stern, and almost distant. Far off from the grounding seriousness that would come from Chongyun's teacher. “Where are you off too?” 

Chongyun looked up at the one who raised him, blue eyes meeting almost identical blue ones. A part of him wanted to scream at the man, to curse him for preventing his son from pursuing the thing he loved most. The thing he spent every day of his life training for since he was a kid, his passion, maybe even his reason for living. It was his life's goal to become the greatest exorcist in all of Liyue, all of Tevat even. Yet, all of that determination seemed to mean nothing if it didn't make the family look good.

Another part of Chongyun knew that was just impulse talking, as it often did. His parents made the decision because it was for the best, right? Luckily enough for the teen, suppressing impulses was second nature, no matter what feelings they sprouted from. 

Pushing his irritation aside, Chongyun spoke calmly, a bit of coldness making its way into the words. “Training, father.” 

Before the other man could get a word in, the young exorcist was past him, walking in the pouring rain. He had a destination in mind before that brief interaction, but that was long since forgotten. At that moment, he just wanted to get away from his dad. He also wanted to hit something, and what better way to do that than train. The anger was so sudden, yet so powerful. 

As he walked, Chongyun was constantly focusing on keeping calm so as to not set off his yang energy, but all that suppression just furthered his want for a fight. He was never much of an angry person, or just emotional in general. He'd work through this the way he did anything else. It had always proved effective in the past, so that likely wouldn't suddenly change. Chongyun didn’t pay much attention to the time, he just simply went on, the rain somehow continuing to get worse. Many would have the sense to seek shelter and wait out the storm, but to the exorcist, there was no better time to be out and about. 

The icy rain on the late day battered his skin and the growing winds only chilled him further. He was exhausted, and phantom pains from where he got shot still lingered with every step. The training from earlier and lack of sleep was exhausting him. But, the rain was an asset in the purging of evil, and by pushing yourself a weak point, you grow stronger. 

Well, that’s how Chongyun started to viewed things. 

Eventually some where a short distance from Liyue Harbor, he came across a geo lawachurl, that was just barely visible in the rain. Not to mention the sun was nearly below the horizon, making everything that much harder to see. The beast was only spotted due to the way the cracks in it's natural armor glowed. The exorcist approached it without a second thought. Rather than summoning the cursed stick, he summoned his claymore. This fight was to blow off some steam and warm up for further training that evening. 

Not to mention how a lawachurl was a much more daunting foe then a simple hillychurl, and as senseless as the exorcist had been recently, he didn't have a death wish. 

The beast eventually noticed Chongyun, but didn’t have much time to get up and attack before its feet were frozen to the ground with a burst of cryo. Soon enough, it was berated by a flurry of attacks, unable to do much in response. Luckily enough for the lawachurl, and unluckily enough for Chongyun, the creature had natural armor that needed to be chipped away at. So, they were at a bit of s stalemate of Chongyun hitting the creature until it broke out of it's icy shackles. 

Not stopping for even a moment, the exorcist continued to mercilessly pummel his opponent. Strike after strike, blow after blow. All in an attempt to break the creature's armor, and finish it off. He kept his breathing controlled, as always; it was pure habit, all in an attempt to keep his yang energy in control in the midst of battle.

 Although, oftentimes when Chongyun fought, he stayed cool even in the hottest environments. This was a result of using cryo, having it channeled from the vision on his hip, to his hands, and into his sword. It really was quite the convince that he ended up with a cryo vision.

So caught up in attacking the lawachurl, the exorcist didn’t notice the large hand coming down to hit him in time to dodge, but he still had a small window to do something.  Panicked, he lifted his claymore to block the assault, only for it to be knocked out of his hands, clattering on the rain soaked ground a few feet away. Better he was disarmed then dead it seemed. 

Chongyun went to dive for the weapon in the brief opening that came with the lawachurls' recoil. His body hit the rain soaked ground, likely muddying his clothes, but that wasn't important. After coming out of a well practiced dive roll, the exorcist’s grip was mere inches from the handle of his weapon. He just needed to pick it up and finish the fight, no need to panic. He was confident in his ability to take down a beast such as the one that currently faced him. Picking a fight would’ve been death sentence otherwise.   

Well, maybe picking the fight was just a death sentence in general, for when Chongyun was nearly able to collect his claymore, the lawachurl snatched him up by the uninjured leg; at least there was that bright side. The exorcist was lifted into the air, dangling by his leg, and in that moment he thought this is it, this is the day that I die. There have been a lot of close calls recently, but this is where the archons seal my fate. I had a good run, made some friends, fought some monsters. It's a shame I was never able to exorcise something for real, but at least I tried. 

Despite the pessimism in his sudden outlook, Chongyun was still determined. He’d done enough shit recently to know he wouldn’t be killed by a simple lawachurl. If he was, then he deserved it for not being strong enough. The thing is, you could train to reach almost any goal, or be proficient in any skill. All it took was effort, then you could do the things our desire. It seemed that recently Chongyun had become quite good at avoiding certain doom. 

Not knowing what else to do, and certain he was about to be slammed on the ground like a rag doll, Chongyun created several spirit blades with a staggered motion on his hand and a few short words, slamming them into the beast. 

It let out a roar of pain and dropped its challenger onto the ground. Somehow, it was still alive. The exorcist had to take several moments to get up after hitting the floor. He was fortunate enough to not be wounded from that, let alone the lawachurl previous iron grip. Those moments gave the lawachurl time to recover as well, already gearing up for another attack. Knowing he wouldn’t have enough time to get his claymore, Chongyun summoned the only other weapon he currently had on him: the branch Xiao gave him. 

It was a awful weapon that seemed to have no practical use, and probably never would, but at least it was something. 

Hitting the best stance he could in a short time, the makeshift weapon was held out, almost completely drenched by rain already. Unlike the sword, it could absorb and hold onto some moisture, rather than just having it all slide off. Based on the training with Xiao earlier that day, Chongyun had some confidence it wouldn't affect his abilities in combat more. Then again, it was raining much harder than before. 

Channeling cryo into the branch for a finishing blow, something unexpected happened. 

The end of the branch itself was covered in a thick layer of ice, giving it much more weight. It suddenly felt to Chongyun like he was holding his own claymore. No longer was it just a stick pulled from a tree, but a weapon the exorcist knew how to use almost perfectly. So before Chongyun could be attacked by the still very apparent lawachurl in front of him, the exorcist crashed the object into the beast, while keeping it infused with the cold element consistently. 

The blow sent the already faltering creature stagger backwards, and eventually falling to the ground with a loud thud. Clearly, it was dead, the process of it disintegrating would be slow due to its mass.  But, it was defeated, and it's killer was alive.

Chongyun had to take several deep breaths to recover from the battle. That was one hell of a way to blow off steam; violent and dangerous, but effective. Once sure his lungs weren’t going to collapse, the exorcist realized what he’d just done. It was like suddenly the answers to all his problems with the branch were solved with a unexpected outcome of a close call in a clash. 

It was just like Xiao said, he had a vision, so he should use it. The branch wasn't the same as Chongyun's claymore, as it wasn't supposed to be that, but as something entirely new. It just so happened to have the same weight of a claymore, but that was just a bonus. The branch didn’t need to just be a branch if ice could be formed on it. Maybe using his vision in combat in combat was what he needed to do all along. It wasn't reliance, but simply using what he had. Chongyun was surprised at his own ignorance for regularly made swords out of ice to create spirit blades, how had he not thought of this sooner? 

With this sudden wave of realization , the young exorcist ran to pick up his claymore. Casting that and the branch away, he ran off in some random direction to find a hillychurl camp. Chongyun was going to prove himself worthy of Xiao’s approval, become stronger, and become a true exorcist once again, only this time better than ever. He just needed to keep working. 

Another thought popped into Chongyun's mind as he ran, one he would never admit made him as happy as it did: 

Xiao was going to be proud.

That night, Chongyun didn’t get home until some ungodly hour. He tried to apply his new found strategy on any opponents he came across, and it didn’t work out too well, and he had to run away from most of the battles he ran into. 

He was very tired, covered in mud and rain water, with a multitude of bruises forming all over his body. It was not fun, to say the least. 

Upon arrival at his home, Chongyun all but passed out on his bed. He was hardly able to keep his eyes open as he changed out of his dirtied clothed. Even in his tired state, the teen still had the sense to not risk getting sick more than he already had. He still had training the next day, and Xiao didn’t seem like the type to be lenient towards sudden absences. 

Getting up in the morning was more of a hassle then the previous day, and somehow Chongyun ended up waking up far earlier than he would’ve liked. He couldn’t even fall back asleep no matter how much he willed himself to do so. After tossing and turning for some time, he still remained wide awake. It made no sense considering how little sleep he’d gotten; likely less than 3 hours. Yet there he was, sitting in bed exhausted and unable to sleep long before the sun was set to rise. 

Finally giving in, the exorcist sat up and rubbed his eyes that stung even in the darkness, only then he noted how achy his body was. Chongyun stretched, many of his joints cracking with the movement, some almost painfully. Looking around his room, he noticed how much of a mess it was. Books were carelessly strewn about on his desk, and several blood covered items of clothing were discarded in the corner. Many other things were out of place, which was saying a lot considering the exorcist didn’t even keep that much in there that wasn’t useful for research. 

In Chongyun’s defense, he hadn’t been home much recently, but now that he really got to look around, he was far too aware of how tunnel visioned he’d become on training. He valued cleanliness as much as the next, and the mess wasn't something he was particularly happy with. So, knowing he wouldn't be able to get any more rest, the exorcist decided to tidy up. 

Some time passed as he mindlessly cleaned his room. The clothes that had been ruined by his own blood, as well as that of enemies had to be disposed of, as there was no hope of getting the stains off. That was the price the exorcist paid for wearing white it seemed. Xingqiu- the ever more fashion forward of the two -had a point when he said wearing darker colors were more practical for his line of work. Even with that pass time of cleaning for Chongyun, the sun was only just beginning to brighten up the sky from below the horizon. 

He pondered what he could do at such a time before heading off to meet Xiao once again. He considered this while eating breakfast from within his own home, a part of him praying to the archons that neither of his parents woke up, if they were even still home that is. 

As he thought, Chongyun briefly noted the fact that he could practically feel the bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. He often tried to get the best night's rest possible to optimize his productivity in work and training, but recently he’s been in such a time crunch. There are only so many hours of the day, and so what if a few extra were spent awake. Any of his usual routines when it came to self care were very time consuming in retrospect.  

“It’s all worth it to become stronger,” the exorcist mumbled to himself, only then realizing the roughness in his voice. Had it been sounding like that yesterday? Chongyun wasn't quite sure, it wasn’t like he’d been talking to many people other than Xiao, and their conversations were kept to a minimum. If this was a festering sickness, he should go to see a healer as soon as possible to ensure it doesn't worsen. 

Lost in thought, the exorcist continued to bring food to his mouth with chopsticks, only realizing he was done with the meal when nothing was in the bite he tried eating. Was I really that zoned out? He questioned internally. 

Afterwards, he sat doing nothing for a long moment, not a thought in his head. Chongyun simply didn’t know what he should do, and didn’t currently have the brain capacity to come up with any bright ideas. Tasks were something he was fond of, rather then just filling the time with whatever senseless nonsense seemed most entertaining at a certain moment. So, acting upon habit alone, the exorcist took care of the dish from his breakfast, and went to his room once more to grab the odd pair of weapons once again. 

Upon exiting his room, Chongyun took a quick gaze towards the door of his parents own bedroom, no particular emotion plaguing him. It was simply a glance, an acknowledgement that they were there. Maybe Chongyun yearned for the same thing from them, but that wasn’t important. What was important right then was getting stronger, and that’s what he would do. 

So, the exorcist continued forward and left his home. 

If the past few days were anything to go off of, Xiao wasn’t one to show up early, but rather right on time. The sun likely would rise for a little under two hours based on the state of the still semi starlit sky. Chongyun noted how it was far more humid than usual, a side effect of yesterday's rain. The day seemed like it was going to be a hot one and… Wait. That’s what Chongyun could do to pass a bit of time.

Rather than going in the direction of the yaksha statues, the exorcist went towards the Wanmin restaurant. He needed to pick up some more popsicles, and hopefully he could get an iced tea for his throat plus the addition of an energy boost. If the order of his frozen snacks wasn't ready, at least he had something else to purchase; an easy out of awkward interactions.

The time wasn’t an issue, as Xiangling insisted the restaurant stay open 24/7. Chongyun vaguely remembered her saying it was for any travelers or merchants who docked at the harbor in the middle of the night and needed someplace to eat. The incident that started that had something to due with Captain Beidou and the Crux if he remembered correctly. 

Once the exorcist was in front of the restaurant, he noticed the current employee wasn’t one he recognized. Then again, he’d never gone to the restaurant at that particular time, and it appeared not many others did so either. For once, there was no line. The only other person around was a lone customer sat at one of the tables eating quietly. Chongyun took a deep breath to fend off any unwanted anxieties involving the stranger who was working, and went to place his order. 

All ended up going smoothly, and the exorcist found himself sitting near the yaksha statues, silently sipping the cold beverage he’d ordered. The cold tea was already working wonders on his sore throat. The surrounding area was slowly becoming more illuminated by the rising sun. A slight breeze rustled the leaves, creating a pleasant background noise. Chongyun closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in the environment. It was nice to relax, for even a moment with how busy things had been lately. 

After he finished his drink, the exorcist was planning on doing some warm up exercises, all in an effort to pass the time. Not to mention, they would be effective in waking his body up more for a long day ahead.

“You’re here early, human.” Xiao’s voice cut through the silence, from behind. 

Chongyun nearly dropped his tea, startled at his teacher's sudden words. Did Xiao just enjoy popping up out of nowhere? Spinning dramatically from where he was sitting and standing to face the other, Chongyun attempted to control his breathing to slow his heart rates sudden speed. Both figures shared a brief moment of eye contact in the otherwise calm environment. Wait, eye contact? 

Xiao wasn’t wearing his mask. 

The exorcist was rather confused, was it because he saw his face clearly yesterday so there was no need to hide it anymore? Maybe Xiao was early that day too, and wasn't expecting Chongyun to be around, thus resulting in his mask being off. Chongyun had many queries, but soon had his own thoughts brought to what Xiao was looking at. His vision drifted to look at the cup in Chongyun’s hand. There wasn’t an ounce of question on confusion on the adepti's face, but the younger still felt like he should provide an answer.

“I, uh- it’s iced tea,” He said, cringing at the roughness in his own voice, and it seemed Xiao did the same. 

“You need it,” he replied bluntly. Wasting no time, the adeptus then turned to the left and took a few steps forwards. Chongyun was about to follow, but then Xiao stopped near the ledge of a platform, and pushed himself to sit on it, his legs dangling above the ground. He rested his hands behind his back for support, and seemed to look at nothing in particular. 

It was almost jarring to see Xiao in such a casual position. Chongyun, just like with his teachers face, felt like this was something he wasn't supposed to be seeing. Like the image of someone worthy of the title 'Conquer of Demons,' had to be preserved. Even like this though, Chongyun knew Xiao was deserving of that title, but would a passerby think the same, or would they see the adeptus as just a regular person.  

The exorcist wasn’t really sure what to do here. Xiao hadn’t given any instruction, so it was likely he didn’t expect Chongyun to do anything in particular. But, why was he just sitting there? Training always started when Xiao showed up, so how was that day any different. It’s not like Chongyun wasn’t early before, just two days ago during the first training session he had plenty of free time before Xiao came along. 

“Adeptus Xiao, can I ask what you want me to do?” Chongyun asked carefully, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. 

The adeptus looked at his student from the corner of his eye, not an emotion written on his face. “We don’t begin until sunrise human, do whatever you want.” He truly seemed uninterested, for he looked away as soon as he finished speaking, disregarding the presence of his student like yesterday. 

Chongyun blinked, then blinked again. He didn’t know what to do with this new information, but that wasn’t really the important part. He could just do whatever? Once that sunk in, the exorcist looked around for a moment, getting a better perspective on his surroundings. Then, he sat back down taking a small sip of his tea. So this is it I guess, he thought. 

Struggling to ignore the presence of his teacher, Chongyun just went back to doing what he was before, occasionally hearing shuffling from where Xiao was. At one point he heard footsteps too, and was that a gust of wind? But, the sound stopped once returning to where it started. Things remained that way until the exorcist finished his drink, and stood up to begin warming up, hyperaware of all of his actions just because Xiao was there. 

It's not like he hadn't seen his student get the shit beaten out of him before, so a few warm up stretches weren't a big deal.

Once the sun was above the horizon, Xiao moved his hand towards his face, summoning the mask. An act Chongyun didn't end up seeing. “Let’s go.” He ordered, exiting the premises of the yaksha statues, and as always, Chongyun followed suit. 

Chapter Text

During Chongyun’s third training session with Xiao, things went pretty much the same as the first two. A silent walk, a hillychurl camp, an attempt, a failure, and a rescue. That isn’t to say the exorcist wasn’t trying, hell, he was trying harder for this then he had on most things in his life, but even with the new technique he’d thought to be a god-send, he was still easily defeated. In Chongyun’s defense however, the technique of forming solid ice on the branch was significantly more difficult when it wasn’t raining, not that it was particularly easy in general.

If you were to ask our young exorcist how he pulled that stunt in the first place, he couldn’t tell you. In his head, it could be chocked up to a moment of adrenaline in battle. Like the thing where mothers gain super strength when they need to save their kids, only in this scenario, Chongyun was his own mother, and instead of super strength, he just covered a stick in ice. Maybe that was a bad metaphor, even still, he had yet to do it again effectively. But hey, that’s what the training was for. 

That senseless determination did nothing to strife the self pity that creeped into Chongyun’s chest when Xiao had to save him yet again, this time from a pyro slime that nearly burned him alive. He felt like all Xiao saw him as a helpless child in need of saving, if he wasn't wearing his mask, Chongyun was sure he would be able to see pity n Xiao's eyes. That’s just the thing though, Chongyun didn’t want to be rescued, he didn't want pity, all he wanted was to be trained. 

In all reality, the teen was never all that fond of receiving help in the first place. He could train on his own, get stronger on his own, and he did for a time. It’s not like he ever received it that much to begin with, what with his parents always being off at work. Chongyun had fared well enough of his own for a long while, yet he still sought out the teachings of Xiao, because Xiao was different from any other teacher Chongyun could think of. The adeptus could help him to get stronger in a way no human teacher ever could. 

Chongyun didn’t want to be saved, yet there he was having just that happen on a daily basis. 

And what of Xiao’s rescue on the third day of training. From where Chongyun sat on the ground, far more affected by the heat produced by the pyro slime then he would’ve liked to admit, he could see Xiao finishing off the opponents. 

Not a single one was able to get within a foot of the adeptus without meeting its untimely demise. He worked like a well oiled machine in combat- no that wasn’t the right way to describe it, Xiao’s movements were far too swift and fluid to be compared to that of a machine. He was like, well, himself. Nobody could fight quite like Xiao, that was for certain. Not after all his years of battle to defend Liyue. 

As Chongyun attempted to get a grip on himself so as to not lose control of his yang energy, his teacher quietly approached. The lightness he had on his feet applied to much more then battle, allowing Xiao's footsteps to be near imperceptible . Xiao stood next to his student for a moment, taking note of the younger's distressed expression, very much unlike how he acted in the face of battle the past two times. It was unclear to Xiao what was effecting the younger so much, but he chose to brush it off for the time being.

Then, much to Chongyun’s dismay, the adeptus stuck out that same taunting hand in a silent offer. 

Again, the exorcist ignored it, and stood up on his own, despite his condition threatening to get the better of him. He would be fine if he just focused on his breathing and staying calm. “Do you have any constructive criticism on my technique today, Adeptus Xiao?” He asked between poorly disguised strangled breaths.

“Try harder to not almost get set on fire,” the adeptus deadpanned. 

Despite everything, all the exhaustion, the self pity, the abundance of yang energy creeping at Chongyun’s consciousness threatening to take over. Despite all the pressure he’d been putting on himself, and the pain he’d recently endured, he laughed. Not loud or bellowing, it could hardly be considered a laugh, more so an amused huff really. But still, a small, almost unnoticeable smile crept across his lips. 

The feeling felt foreign in a way, has it really been that long since I laughed? Chongyun pondered before breathing out, “I’ll keep that in mind for future improvement.” 

Xiao didn’t seem to get what was funny, so he just crossed his arms over his chest and grunted. “You humans are so fragile,” he mumbled a bit too loudly if he was trying to hide it from Chongyun. 

After a short while, the exorcist left and returned home, only to pick right back up again and go do his own training, as per usual. The more work he put in the faster he'd be able to move on with his training. Not to mention, maybe he would end up being worthy of Xiao's acknowledgement. Chongyun continued to try his new technique, but to no avail. It’s not like it was impossible to form ice without water, as long as there was humidity in the air, and that certainly wasn't something Liyue was lacking in. It’s just significantly more difficult to form solid ice without a water source. 

Most of the experience Chongyun had in creating things from ice was from his spirit blades. The difference between creating something like a spirit blade and just forming ice in general lay in the fact that spirit blades were created with a mix of thaumaturgy and Chongyun’s cryo vision. Not to mention, they would disappear shortly after being created. There simply for the purpose of defeating an enemy with a single swift blow. They were more magic than actual ice, really. 

That being said, after several more failed attempts to freeze the branch over during combat, the exorcist concluded that he wouldn’t be able to jump into this technique head first. Learning the basics and working from there would be vital for improvement, as it was with any difficult technique. What Chongyun could create out of ice currently consisted of small amounts of snow, and ice cubes, so he still had a long way to go.

What seemed like the first course of action was to freeze smaller objects in layers of ice. This in mind, Chongyun found a tree to sit under, and a small twig that he hoped would work for his cause. Channeling cryo from his vision, from his hands, into the object, the exorcist got to work. 

Training continued, and during the first few days, Chongyun saw little to no improvement in his ability to actually fight anything as Xiao requested. The actual fighting wasn't what he needed to figure out always. As Xiao said to Chongyun, "You have a vision, use it," and that he would do in time. With each failure however, the exorcist could sense his teacher's patience growing thinner. Fight after failed fight, Chongyun was met with his near untimely demise, yet Xiao still protected him.

Rather than being thankful for the mercy, the exorcist couldn’t help but wonder when nobody would be there to step in. When would Xiao loose his willingness to make up for his students short comings. Would Chongyun's impulses and imperfections in battle finally bring his life to an end? Would he somehow make it out alive, only for Xiao to be gone, having finally given up hope on a seemingly hopeless cause? Maybe it wouldn’t really be much at all, maybe he would simply dodge that seemingly fatal blow and run away. 

That seemed like the most realistic stand point, but the others would just be so much more climactic, wouldn't they.  

As the training continued, Chongyun noticed, if Xiao was anything, he was consistent. As every day he defeated the foes his student failed to, he would still reach out that hand, and as always, Chongyun would reject it. He still didn't feel he deserved the small act of kindness, and he was sure Xiao picked up on this pattern. Even still, his subtle way of reaching out remained a constant. 

That in fact, wasn't to only thing Xiao did in a small attempt to help Chongyun. Whenever he would get injured, similar to the time he got shot in the leg, Xiao would attempt to patch it up if Chongyun was in too much pain to to it himself. Often times during these interactions, not a word would be spoken between the apprentice and his master. There were other things Xiao did completely unbeknownst to Chongyun. 

When their training sessions would end late, or when Chongyun was injured, Xiao would follow him from a far, just in case he ever got in any trouble. Xiao still had a contract to uphold, and if defending the people of Liyue involved making sure a teenager didn't get killed on a simple walk home, than that's what Xiao would do. And if a small part of the adeptus was going out of his way to be sure Chongyun was alright because he was starting to care about the kid, that was nobody's business but his own.  

Xiao also seemed to notice his student would neglect to eat or drink anything during long training sessions in favor of practicing more. That being said, Xiao would often bring water, and some form of food if the situation ever called for it. One day, Xiao and Chongyun were going to a second hillychurl camp, as the first one was only a short walk to get to, and the fight didn't last long at all.

The sun was blocked by a thin layer of cloud that day, making things at least a bit cooler for Chongyun. Xiao couldn't care less about the weather; he'd fought battles during hurricanes before. After something like that, something as simple as clouds wasn't anything to worry about. 

As Chongyun followed Xiao, likely lost in thought based on the expression adorned to his face. The apparent silence was interrupted by the sound of Chongyun's stomach growling. "Are you hungry, human?" Xiao asked like it was even a question, keeping his gaze forwards and his pace consistent. 

 With a slight grimace, Chongyun replied, "It won't be a hindrance on my training, don't worry about me, Adeptus Xiao."  

In response to this, Xiao silently summoned Sunsettia and tossed it over his shoulder to Chongyun in one swift motion. The exorcist had to scramble to catch the unexpected object thrown at him. He was about to protest, but couldn't as Xiao spoke up. "I have no need for your human sustenance anyways. If you really want to improve, don't do so on an empty stomach." 

Taking in these words, Chongyun ate the fruit, baffled at his teachers actions

Over time, Chongyun started to make improvements with the use of his vision. It started off slow, taking all of his concentration and many attempts to cover small sticks in thin layers of frost. Cryo was far easier to control when channeled into something, rather than trying to form it around something. Someone had to have tried something like this in the past, right? Perhaps some research was due. 

Chongyun would have asked someone else with a cryo vision if they knew anything on how to better channel the element, but the only other person he knew with one in Liyue was Qiqi, and Chongyun doubted she would be useful in getting the information he needed. 

“Why couldn't Xiao just give me a rock or something, at least those can actually do damage if you throw them hard enough,” Chongyun muttered to himself, annoyed on a particularly difficult night of practice. Due to his frustration, several of the small sticks he tried to freeze ended up broken under the exorcist's iron grip. Quelling his frustration was an easy task after having to to such a thing many times, but it didn't mean he could simply make his emotions disappear. 

With that being said, the twig that lay in Chongyun's hand wasn’t doing too well. Still, he wasn’t going to give up until he saw a bit of improvement. Training was useless otherwise. 

Sitting under the moonlight, Chongyun took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He had no clue what time it was, ignoring that in favor of his own improvement. That had been happening almost every night, leaving the exorcist more tired with each waking day. He was hoping his body would soon adjust to his new sleep schedule and allow him to function at full capacity with the 4-1 hours he’d been getting. If it didn't, well it was nothing a little caffeine couldn't help.  

Anyways, Chongyun allowed the cryo energy to be channeled from his hands into the object he was holding, something that hardly took effort anymore. Even before this whole ordeal, the cold magic felt more then natural running through his veins. Once confident the stick was completely covered in the elemental energy, Chongyun took another breath, and built up a small burst of cryo that would hopefully cover the object in ice. 

The exorcist paused, fully concentrating on his breathing and the element flowing through his hands. Any background nose was deafened, and his grip on the object only tightened. Chongyun paused, then released small built bust of cryo.

He opened his eyes, and wouldn’t you know it: In his now unclenched hand lie a small stick covered in ice.

Chongyun was shocked to say the least. He stared at the object in his hands, turning it around a bit to look at it from all angles. Sure enough, the whole thing was enveloped. “I did it,” he muttered to himself in disbelief. With a breathy chuckle, he smiled at the thing. Progress, that's what he strove for, and what he got. All the recent late nights were made worth it with the object before him. 

This was the reason Chongyun trained so hard, to see improvement. Even the smallest step in the right direction was still a step, no matter how much effort it took to take. Of course, that one action in no way meant the exorcist was going to stop. In fact, it was all the more reason to keep going. He was getting somewhere, and that was the important part. 

Taking in his accomplishment one last time, Chongyun discarded the stick on the ground, and stood up with a yawn. As he stretched, several joints cracked due to the time he spent sitting on the ground training. Luckily, Chongyun wasn’t too far from Liyue Harbor, or even his home, so he could get to his bed and fall asleep soon. Closing his eyes once again for a brief moment, Chongyun touched his cheek, only to be met with an odd feeling. 

His hand was very cold, which one might expect from a cryo vision wielder like himself. The thing is, our exorcist had a naturally warm body due to his yang energy, and it wasn’t often he was cold. “Strange,” Chongyun said to himself while looking at his hand. It appeared as it always did, well with the abundance of electrical scars slowly becoming normal to the exorcist. Keeping careful note of that, just in case, Chongyun went home. 

So, Chongyun continued to push himself as hard as possible with each waking day. He would wake up, meet Xiao by the Yaksha Statues, follow him to a hillychurl camp, fight them to the best of his ability- he was still yet to succeed -, go off to do his own training, and return home to sleep, all to do it again the next day. 

If this seems repetitive, that was the point.  The routine was key, as it meant discipline. Chongyun learned early in his life that training couldn’t lead anywhere without keeping oneself in check. Finding a routine and sticking to it would ensure success in the long run. Although, repetition on it's own wouldn't lead to improvement, only memorization. Chongyun had found ways within this routine to push himself, that was how he trained himself all these years.   

During the training sessions he and Xiao had, the teacher continued to give his student criticism. “You are aware that you’re not using a claymore while fighting anymore, right?” He asked Chongyun one day, his tone laced with harsh sarcasm. The teen in question was surveying the state of  the branch at the time. 

The archons had to have some kind of hand in keeping it together for so long. Tree branches weren’t exactly known for their durability in battle. Well they weren't really known for anything in battle because they were tree branches, but that was besides the point. How long had Chongyun been training with Xiao? Around weeks, right? 

Hearing the words of the adeptus, the exorcist wasn’t able to bite his tongue before saying, “Painfully so, yes.” Almost immediately after the words left his mouth, Chongyun realized his mistake. “I- I apologize for my rudeness Adeptus Xiao,” he spoke quickly. 

It’s not like Chongyun had ever gotten in trouble for being unprofessional with Xiao, it’s just that he never really had been. Xiao didn't seem like to type to enjoy banter, and Chongyun wasn't usually one to engage in it. Sure there was that one time he laughed at Xiao's sarcastic remark, but this was different. Was it okay for him to respond to sarcasm with sarcasm, well Chongyun was about to find out. 

“Just call me Xiao,” was all the adeptus said. 

The exorcist had to take a minute to process those words, “What?” 

Xiao huffed and crossed his arms like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Formalities take too much time, human. My name will suffice.” 

After another pause Chongyun looked at his teacher, who was no longer wearing his mask. It wasn't as foreign of a sight now, but Chongyun still wasn't entirely used to seeing it. “I understand… Xiao,” Just saying the name on its own felt odd. 

In the recent days of training, Chongyun found himself drilling the idea that Xiao was not human further into his head. It was only natural for two to grow closer if they spent time together, but the exorcist knew the adeptus wasn’t his friend. He was just that, an adeptus. Someone sworn to protect the people of Liyue, not be a person himself. He and Chongyun were not the same, nor would they ever be, that was obvious. So then why did he still have to look so undeniably human at times? 

Even still, being on a first name basis with someone as powerful as an adeptus was something Chongyun would have never imagined. Well, now that he thought about it, Xiao had never called his student by his name. He always defaulted to ‘human.’ If there was more to read into there, Chongyun would think about it another time. He had more training to get to after all. 

Things continued smoothly, and Chongyun was able to move onto freezing larger objects once he got the hang of freezing the twigs. It was a lot more simple once he got down to it, really. So, Chongyun decided to start on the next step: If the branch Xiao gave him was the equivalent of a claymore, the exorcist had moved onto the tree appendage equivalent of swords. 

While he didn’t really have much experience with such weapons outside of his early training, and the brief techniques Xingqiu had taught him, Chongyun had an idea for his improvement. Once he got a hang of freezing the larger sticks over- an act that was significantly easier now that he had gotten better- he tried freezing them while performing some forms with the objects. A simple slash or twirl of the sticks, nothing fancy. 

 It took several days and a sleepless night to be able to complete the desired task, but soon enough Chongyun was freezing sticks like he’d been doing it his whole life. In fact, the action felt easier with the movement, almost as if the momentum allowed cryo to travel more smoothly from Chongyun's hands to the stick. It was kind of funny really. Without context it seemed like such a ridiculous way to use a vision. In fact, even in the context, it was a bit silly. 

A young exorcist sought out the teachings of an adeptus, only for those teachings to consist of the exorcist beating up hillychurls with a stick rather than the weapon he’d been training to use his whole life. In hopes to carry out his teacher's request, the exorcist turned to freezing tree branches, something he would do in favor of sleeping some nights. 

That aside, Chongyun wasn’t going to let anything stop him when he was so close to his current goal. From there, it was simply onto whatever Xiao had planned next for training. 

One day, Chongyun was doing a bit of warming up to start tackling the issue that was freezing the stick Xiao gave him. It was dusk, and Chongyun was on a beach, the late day sun reflecting effortlessly upon the vast ocean. A brief smile traced his lips at the sight. Chongyun was simply working with the sword sticks. As he did so, the exorcist tried a simple sword technique Xingqiu had taught him. His friends moves in combat reflected his vision perfectly with how fluid and graceful they could be. Such grace was not something Chongyun was practiced in, still, it would suffice for the sake of his training. 

With a deep breath and a swift motion of the stick on Chongyun's, the object was frozen over. 

the exorcist looked it over with a small satisfied grim. The late days sun reflected brilliantly on the ice, giving it yellow and pink hues that complimented the blue of the ice perfectly. With Xingqiu already in mind, the exorcist thought of what he may think of all of this; the seemingly ridiculous efforts poured into Xiao’s teachings. 

Then Chongyun paused and his eyes widened as he realized something: he hadn’t talked to Xingqiu in over a month. 

He’d been so caught up in his training that he completely forgot the promise made. “While your pursuit of martial arts is commendable, it would be appreciated if you didn’t disappear for extended intervals of time. And if you do intend to do so, promise me you will at least inform me first,” were Xingqiu’s exact words, spoken the day Chongyun went to fight the Geovishap. 

This sunk in further, “Oh archons,” the exorcist whispered to himself in near horror. It would be one thing if Chongyun disappeared for a month, but it was another that he was so distant beforehand, not to mention how Xingqiu knew of the near lethal threat his friend went to face. 

The only reassurance he had that Chongyun wasn’t dead was Xiangling's word. 

A bit panicked, Chongyun ran a hand through his hair, and took a breath. “Stay calm,” he said quietly. He knew panicking would only make this worse for himself, but introspection didn't always help in the face of anxiety. So, without thinking, Chongyun dropped the frozen stick on the ground, and scrambled to find the few belongings he brought to the beach that day.

Afterwards, he started sprinting the the direction of Liyue Harbor in some hope to fix the promise he'd already broken.

Chapter Text

Chongyun ran to Liyue like his life depended on it, even though it technically didn’t. Something much more important was at stake here: the trust of his friends. How could he have been so foolish as to completely ignore them, the people he cared about most for the sake of getting stronger? Chongyun continued to curse himself as he ran. 

Despite the apparent exhaustion weighing on his body, he kept a constant speed during his short trip back to the harbor. He could feel himself getting hotter due to the excursion he was putting on himself, but didn’t take much time to care. As bad as losing control of his yang energy would be at the moment, there were worse things in the world. 

It took until the entrance of the harbor for Chongyun’s focus on his goal, his attention diverted to the sound of a dog barking. Of course, the one time he looked away, Chongyun ended up tripping. He braced himself for the ground's impact, but it never came. 

Instead, a firm grip took Chongyun’s hand and pulled him to his feet just in the nick of time. Looking to see his savior, he was met with a familiar pair of red eyes. “Why hello Chongyun, long time no see,” Hu Tao said with her ever present smile. 

Chongyun would’ve responded, but he suddenly realized how horribly out of breath he was. Bending over and placing one hand on his knee, he gave the director a brief wave, then focused on keeping his lungs from collapsing. 

Hu Tao simply giggled. “You really had me worried there for a bit. I didn’t want to see you as a client for the parlor so soon.” She looked up to the quickly darkening sky brought forth by the setting sun, “Although, all business in good business…” 

If Chongyun didn’t know this as the way Hu Tao always was, he would be mildly threatened by her words. 

The pair stood in silence for a moment, surely attracting some attention from strangers in passing. Once the exorcist caught his breath enough to speak, he stood up and looked Hu Tao in the eye. “Can… Do you- uh,” He kept panting in between words. “Do you know where Xingqiu is?” 

“My, my, someone’s rather eager to see his friend,” Hu Tao snarked. “But, I haven’t seen him much today, only in passing while I was working,” she trailed off. 

“Okay, well I need to go then,” Chongyun replied, disappointed, but still determined to find his friend. He didn’t want to break the promise he made more than he already did, especially considering how he didn’t know what Xiao had in mind for training after he managed to defeat a camp of hillychurls with the stick. 

Before the exorcist could run off again in search of Xingqiu, Hu Tao grabbed his hand again. Looking back, she was still smiling, but a bit more strained than before. “Chongyun, are you alright? You seem pretty stressed-”

“I’m fine,” Chongyun put, perhaps a bit too harshly. Hu Tao immediately let go of his hand, allowing the exorcist to pick up and run further into Liyue Harbor. Well, now his speed was that of a jog considering it would be hard to spot if Xingqiu was about while moving so quickly. 

Dusk was a busy time for Liyue, as that was when many merchants were trying to get rid of the rest of that day's product. Chongyun had to push through a few crowds of people to arrive at his destination, Liyue’s plaza. If Xingqiu were anywhere, he would be there. If not, then the Wanwen Bookhouse was his next best bet. 

Chongyun stopped near a small kiosk and scanned his surroundings tentatively for any sign of Xingqiu. The sun was below the horizon by this time, making things significantly more difficult despite how lit up Liyue could be at night. Finding nothing from that position, Chongyun went straight for the Wanmin Restaurant.

Looking at the front window, there was no Xiangling in sight, only the familiar face of Chef Mao. He could know where Xingqiu was, right? Maybe not him, but Xiangling, and she could know the whereabouts of Chongyun’s best friend. 

Luckily, there were no customers currently in line, so Chongyun was able to just waltz right up to the front counter. “Chef Mao, do you know where Xingqiu is?” The exorcist asked, wasting no time with a sense of urgency in his tone.

The older man blinked as he processed the sudden question. He realized the importance this had to Chongyun due to his tone, and responded accordingly. “No, but do you need help finding him?” He asked, serious.

“Then what about Xiangling?” Chongyun pushed. 

Chef Mao thought for a moment, it was obvious there was no time for casual conversation, “I think she went out to the docks to get a delivery-”

“Thank you,” Chongyun cut off before Chef Mao could get another word in. With that said, he went off in the direction of the docks. 

His speed was hasty, perhaps even more so than before. Chongyun’s lungs still felt like they were on fire, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was making sure Xingqiu- no, not just him -it was making sure all of Chongyun’s friends knew he was fine. Being missing for a week was dismissible, going to fight a giant monster with no additional context was cutting in close, but being gone for a whole month? He would’ve searched the entirety of Liyue and beyond if anyone he cared about was inaccessible for that long. 

Pushing past anyone who got in his way, Chongyun sprinted to the docks. It was near dark by then, dying light of the day fought to be seen on the distant horizon, but was ultimately losing as it always did. Our exorcist only slowed due to the faint, vet familiar voices that could be heard distantly before him. 

Two silhouettes sat at the edge of the dock, one hunched over, presumably with their head in their hands, and the other had comforting a hand on the first figure's back. “Xingqiu, I’m sure he’s fine, okay? Have you tried asking his parents where he’s been?” Xiangling’s voice spoke comfortingly. 

“Yes,” Xingqiu sobbed out. “His father said he’s been busy training, but he didn’t know where, or what exactly he’s been doing, and that was a week ago, archons know what he’s up to now.” His figure shook and Xiangling rubbed circles on his back. 

“Well at least we know that he’s been going home at night,” the chef tried to look on the bright side, but she seemed to be having a hard time convincing even herself. 

 “But what if he hasn’t been!?” Xingqiu nearly shouted, sitting up to look at her. “ Did I ever tell you what he said he was doing a while ago?! He said he was going to fight some giant monster and he never told me why! We have no idea what he could be doing, and if it scales with that he… he could very well be dead…” another sob interrupted his words. 

Xiangling pulled Xingqiu into a hug from where the two sat in an instant. “He can’t be dead Xiangling…” he whimpered, the already quiet words muffled by Xiangling’s shoulder. 

“He’s not, you got that? Xingqiu, I’m sure of it, we’ll see him in no…” Xiangling trailed off when she lifted her head a bit. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the figure standing just feet away on the dock. Twisting her body uncomfortably, she looked Chongyun straight in the eye. 

Feeling the movement from where he was still being held, Xingqiu looked in the same direction. The book worm’s reddened eyes widened, and his jaw went a bit slack. 

Xiangling on the other hand didn’t waste a second, and quickly let go of Xingqiu despite the state he was still in. She stood and ran to envelop Chongyun in a tight hug, even tighter than the last she gave him somehow. “Thank the archons you’re okay,” she said into his shoulder. 

Chongyun on the other hand was speechless. He knew he’d made a promise, and he knew he broke it, but the fact that his friends were so affected by him being gone was shocking. In all his time knowing Xingqiu, Chongyun had probably only seen him cry less than ten times, and many of those were when they were much younger. 

Chongyun knew they cared, but this seemed like too much worry over just him. 

Snapping out of his daze, he gently hugged Xiangling back, who didn’t show any signs of letting go anytime soon. “Y-yeah,” the exorcist stuttered out, not sure what else to do in this situation. 

The two stood in silence for a long moment until Xiangling loosened her grip to properly look at Chongyun. She had tears in her eyes, making them shine and reflect the stars. It was unclear if they were from sadness or happiness however, likely a mix of both. “Don’t think you’re getting off the hook so easily though,” she breathed out. 

Before Chongyun could respond, he noticed that Xingqiu was now standing a few feet away. Xiangling noticed too and let go of Chongyun completely, stepping off to the side. The two boys looked at one another in silence. Chongyun kept his expression blank, while Xingqiu still had the same disbelief as before. 

The silence was deafening, and Chongyun wanted nothing more to fill it with an endless string of apologies, but Xingqiu spoke up first. 

“Where the fuck have you been?” His tone was quiet and filled with malice, a stark contrast from the crying mess he was before. 

Chongyun still didn’t know what to say, “I-”

“And don’t give me any outlandish excuses like before. Don’t just tell me you’ve been training, because it hasn't just been that. Training isn’t fighting a Primo Geovishap Chongyun, so tell me: what was so important you had to disappear for a whole month?” Xingqiu cut off. He sounded more defeated, but no less angry than before. 

This is not a scenario that Chongyun ever thought he’d get himself into, because here’s the thing: as much as he valued being truthful, he didn’t think it was the best idea to go around telling people he was now the apprentice of The Conqueror of Demons, Adeptus Xiao- well now just Xiao to Chongyun. He knew the idea was outlandish, especially considering all the caution around the yaksha. 

Not to mention, Chongyun didn’t know if Xiao wanted the knowledge that he was training a human to get out, for whatever reason. He generally seemed more seclusive with all matters, so this wasn’t likely an exception. How would Chongyun even explain such a thing? 

‘Oh yeah, sorry I’ve been gone. My parents banned me from working as an exorcist so now I’m training with the Vigilant Yaksha. Y’know, that one guy famously known for fighting in the archon war under Rex Lapis who has slaughtered countless gods and demons alike? Yep, we hang out every day so I haven’t been able to talk to you, sorry.’ In what world would that be believable? All things considered, it would probably make Xingqiu more mad then the very thing he didn’t want to hear. 

It seemed there was no way of fixing his mistakes now, so Chongyun at least wanted to minimize the damage to himself and his friends. 

“So, where have you been?” Xingqiu pushed, cutting through Chongyun’s thoughts. 

As always, in the face of a stressful situation, Chongyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Any form of impulse or outburst could very well sever the tie between the Xingqiu and Chongyun forever. Opening his eyes to meet Xingqiu’s once again, he said the simple phrase, “I’ve been training.”

And with that, the deafening silence returned, but this time it held a tension that made things that much more stressful from Chongyun. He was focusing on staying calm more than he was Xingqiu, because the only thing that could make this situation worse was losing control of his yang energy.  

“I can’t fucking believe you,” Xingqiu spoke. He saw the stressed state the young exorcist was in, but felt no remorse as he continued. “Fine then, go off and have outlandish adventures for all I care. Just don’t come crawling back to me when you nearly get yourself killed and have nobody to turn to. It’s not like you seem to care about anyone but yourself much anyways.” 

And without another word, Xingqiu was walking back towards the harbor under the night sky. 

Not sure what else to do, Chongyun turned to Xiangling for a sense of solace. She grimaced, “I should probably go check on him, we’ll talk later, ‘kay?” The chef got a response in the form of a nod. “‘Night, Chongyun.” she said, taking a few steps away. 

“And hey, take care of yourself alright. I have no idea what you’ve been up to, but just make sure it’s not anything too dangerous. See ‘ya soon,” Xiangling spoke as she turned to face Chongyun once again, before continuing after Xingqiu. 

Now alone on the dock, Chongyun let the reality of what had just happened sink in. “Shit,” he muttered to himself, running a hand through his light blue hair. His breathing started to pick up, and tears pricked at his eyes, threatening to spill over at any moment. He closed them tightly and clenched his fists so hard that his nails could have very well broken skin. He didn’t currently care enough to pay attention to details such as that. 

 Chongyun didn’t need this right now; he didn’t want to cry, because that would just make this whole situation even worse. 

He knew that he was in the wrong here, because how hard would it have been to meet up with Xingqiu or the others even once? Was he really so obsessed with his own training that he didn’t even see that as an option? 

Now, the exorcist had no clue what to do. Talking to Xingqiu was off the table for the time being, but Chongyun didn’t want to just go off and disappear for another month. Then again, he couldn’t just stop going to train with Xiao. 

Chongyun’s mind was too all over the place to come up with a viable solution, especially considering he was still trying to fight back his ever persistent tears. Still very tired from the run over, Chongyun went to sit on the edge of the dock similarly to the way Xiangling and Xingqiu did earlier. 

He put his head in his hands, just trying to breathe. He focused on that, and the distant sounds of merchants and customers alike back in the direction of the harbor. During this time, Chongyun didn’t let a single tear fall. If he just held out for a little longer, he would be alright. 

When he finally wasn’t on the edge of a breakdown, Chongyun sat up slowly and took in the view before him. The vast ocean reflected the stars in the dark sky, Guyun Stone Forest a nearly invisible silhouette further towards the horizon. It was beautiful, and the exorcist basked in its glory for a short while. 

For a moment, he just wanted to forget about, not recent events, but everything. The stress of training, his parents, the fight with the Geovishap which would still haunt Chongyun’s dreams on occasion. He’d really gotten himself into a mess, and the only way out was through. 

Oddly enough, the one person who had been making everything easier as of late was Xiao. Sure, he was the one who tasked Chongyun with several feats that seemed impossible. His teaching methods were harsh, just like his words at times, but still Chongyun couldn’t deny the fact that it at least seemed like he cared, even if he didn’t show it in the most conventional way.

Eventually, Chongyun stood up from the dock, and turned to return home earlier than he had in a long while. 

That night, the exorcist stayed up tossing and turning, getting very little sleep despite how much earlier he got home compared to usual. His sleeping schedule had long since been ruined due to his training. Despite this, despite the annoyance and pain this excessive training had brought to Chongyun and unfortunately his friends too, he still held a weird sense of satisfaction in the fact that he had gotten stronger. 

Such ponderings plagued the exorcist's mind as he willed himself to sleep, forcing any emotions he didn’t have time to deal with aside. Tomorrow would be a new day, and he could forget this whole mess for a time when training with Xiao. But as always, things wouldn’t work out as he wanted. 

Chongyun awoke about an hour before sunrise, plenty of time to get ready and get to the Yaksha statues for training. He got dressed, not dwelling on his new abundance of scars anymore. He’d gotten quite used to them over the past month, even the more recent ones he’d gotten during his fights with the hillychurls. They were just kind of there, and that was that. 

Collecting his belongings from his room, Chongyun exited the area and ventured to the kitchen to grab a pre-packed breakfast to eat once he was out. It was more efficient this way, allowing Chongyun plenty of time from the time getting to the statues until the sun actually rose. He found he quite enjoyed eating his morning meal outside as the sun rose rather than in his own home, whether Xiao was around or not. 

Doing a quick mental checklist to be sure he had everything, Chongyun went to leave. That’s when the voice of his mother stopped him, “Chongyun, may I speak to you before you leave?” She asked, but it was less of a question, more of a demand. 

Taking a breath, Chongyun turned around, “Yes, mother.”

The woman in question was standing in the entrance of the hallway, adorned in a robe. It was clear she heard her son from the bedroom and wouldn’t have the time to get ready before Chongyun could leave. She leaned casually against the wall. 

“Where are you off to at such an hour? You haven’t been sneaking off to perform exorcisms have you?” She joked, it wasn’t funny. 

“Training. That’s what you wanted me to do, is it not?” He asked, keeping any unwanted emotion away from his voice. He simply wanted to get this conversation over with so he could leave and meet Xiao. 

The woman huffed, an almost amused look of disappointment on her face. “Chongyun sweetheart, it’s obvious you’re taking me and your fathers request of you very seriously, but it’s been over a month. I simply want to know how much longer it’s going to take for you to get that yang energy under control so you can perform exorcisms properly. It pains me to see you not doing the thing you love, but I hope you know that what we did was in your best interest.” 

The words fell so effortlessly from her mouth, and Chongyun simply listened as he always did. 

“I don’t know how much longer it’s going to take, but I’ll keep working hard, mother,” Chongyun replied on autopilot. 

 She tilted her nose up, then turned to the side in contemplation. “I’m glad to hear, because if you can’t change things soon, we might need to hire external help to get that little issue whipped into shape. It’s a shame really,” the woman looked to her son out of the corner of her eye, “It’s so rare to have a constitution like yours, and yet all of its potential is going to waste because you can’t control it.” 

As much as Chongyun would hate to admit it, his mothers words struck a chord in him. He’d been trying to control his yang energy as long as he could remember, but off of his efforts never seemed to be enough. It wasn’t his fault though, right? 

Then the rest of her words sunk in: ‘We might need to hire external help.’

That meant they would get an instructor to train Chongyun; it meant he would have to give up on his apprenticeship with Xiao. After everything he poured into that, after everything he’d learned. While the adeptus’ training methods seemed less than conventional so far, Chongyun learned more under Xiao than he had any other instructor. 

He didn’t even know that Chongyun was trying to get his yang energy under control, and maybe that’s what made training with Xiao all that much better. He didn’t treat Chongyun like he was some special case that needed to be trained differently because of his constitution.

Chongyun would never admit it, maybe not even to himself, but perhaps it was a very conscious decision not to tell Xiao of his issue with his yang energy. 

There was also a part of Chongyun, one that he hardly even noticed was there until just then, that didn’t want to be forced to give up on Xiao’s teachings, especially considering Xiao was yet to give up on him.

“That will not be necessary mother, I have found many new methods of training that have already proven to be effective.” Chongyun informed his mother as quickly and clearly as possible. 

She smiled, and turned back to her son. “Hmm, I’m sure you won’t disappoint me anymore then you already have, Chongyun. You best be off, I love you.” 

And with that, Chongyun was off to the Yaksha statues for training, unfeeling and efficient, just like he should be.

The short trip to the statues was but a mere blur to the exorcist. He’d done it so many times he didn’t have to think about it anymore. What he was really focusing on was keeping his emotions in check. The combination of last night and his mother that morning was a lot, and he didn’t have the time to deal with it. All the anxieties he had about talking with Xiangling (and perhaps Xingqiu) sometime soon were not helping. 

Nothing was helping, and Chongyun felt like nobody was on his side. What exactly being on his side entailed, even Chongyun didn’t know. 

In a last ditch effort to not break down in the middle of the quiet morning streets of Liyue, Chongyun summoned a popsicle and ate it as he walked. By some miracle, it helped to keep him calm, if just a bit. The next thing the exorcist knew, he was at the Yaksha Statues, no Xiao in sight. 

No longer hungry for the morning meal he brought, Chongyun simply sat on the ground near one of the statues, and leaned his back against it for support. It dawned on him how tired he was, but not in the same way as usual. It was hard to place, but despite the exhaustion, he didn’t particularly feel like sleeping. While further delving into his own musings, Chongyun didn’t notice the familiar gust of wind that signaled the arrival of Xiao. 

He allowed himself to daze out a bit more despite any better judgement. 

“Human.” Chongyun heard Xiao greet simply. 

Blinking, the exorcist refocused his vision on the adeptus. He stood up quickly after the realization of his teacher's presence set in. “Ade- Xiao,” Chongyun greeted in return. He still wasn’t completely used to simply calling Xiao by his name. 

The person in question wasn’t wearing his mask once again, so there was no hiding the tentative scan he took of Chongyun. For once, he seemed hesitant, and Chongyun would be lying if this didn’t make him uneasy. Xiao always seemed so sure of himself, so what was different that time? 

After a brief pause, Xiao spoke once again. “Let’s get moving,” with one swift motion of his hand, Xiao’s face was covered in a mask. 

Trying not to drag his feet, Chongyun walked with Xiao at his still absurd walking speed. The exorcist lost track of time during the trip to the hillychurl camp. He simply moved in silence, a silence he had long since found an odd comfort in. However, on that particular day, Xiao didn’t seem to value the quiet environment quite as much as usual. 

“You’re tired.” He pointed out, not even giving Chongyun the decency of a question. He would have asked himself if it was really that obvious, but in all reality he knew it was. 

Knowing he couldn’t dance around this observation, the exorcist just accepted what was. “Yes, yes I am.” 

“You shouldn’t be training if you’re tired,” Xiao stated as if it wasn’t obvious. 

Chongyun would have laughed, but ironically enough he didn’t have the energy to do so. “Being tired is no excuse not to keep working,” the exorcist said more to himself than anyone else. 

Xiao paused, hearing his students' words. Chongyun honestly couldn’t place why, then again he had never been all too good at reading people anyways. “You’ll get yourself hurt if you think like that.” 

Little did the exorcist know of the blatant hypocrisy in that statement. 

“Maybe that’s what’s necessary,” Chongyun snapped without thinking. 

In his defense, everything Chongyun did for Xiao’s training hurt him in some capacity, but he was improving. Even still, that didn’t do anything to combat the regret the exorcist felt shortly after he spoke those words. He wanted to apologize, yet Chongyun couldn’t deny that he meant the words he said. 

Xiao, surprisingly enough, didn’t say anything either. He simply looked at Chongyun one last time before looking towards the hillychurl camp that seemingly came out of nowhere. He didn’t even have to give instruction, as the pair had been through this enough times for no communication to be necessary. 

Today however, as Chongyun prepared himself to engage, summoning the branch, Xiao spoke up once again. “If you want to put yourself in danger, I can’t stop you. But if the situation becomes too dire, human. Simply call my name, and I’ll be there.” He was looking towards the camp of monsters, rather than his student. 

Chongyun huffed. “That won’t be necessary.” The offer was appreciated, but Chongyun didn’t want to trouble Xiao more than he already had, nor did he want to imagine himself in a situation he wasn’t strong enough to get himself out of alone. 

He started towards the camp, but not before Xiao said, “It seems you may already need the help,” just loud enough to hear. 

Chongyun didn’t know what it was about that statement, but suddenly he felt a lot more angry than before. He just knew he didn’t need the help from Xiao, alright? Even if that was the whole point of Chongyun seeking out Xiao in the first place. Even if he actually had helped Chongyun so far. He didn’t need Xiao’s help. 

Suddenly it seemed Chongyun was more of a hypocrite than even Xiao. 

In all reality, he wasn’t just mad at Xiao. There was a lot Chongyun wanted to be mad about, but he still did his best to keep his composure while approaching his old foe with the weapon he’d been working so tirelessly to master. 

The first creatures soon took notice of the exorcist and were hasty in their engagement. Chongyun kept towards them, a calm appearance the contrast the anger welling up inside him. When four hillychurls were close enough to strike, raising their clubs in messy forms, Chongyun suddenly sped up. 

He maneuvered to get behind them, holding up his weapon to block an attack from the first to turn around. He pushed off from the blow, giving himself some backwards momentum. Chongyun cast away his weapon, and  rolled with the movement, pushing himself up onto his feet with his hands to come out of the action. 

The distance between himself and the hillychurls would not last long, so Chongyun conjured several spirit blades and cast them down upon them. Several were taken down with that single strike, their bodies disintegrating into nothing, while one seemed to be on its last legs. It hardly even had the strength to push itself off the ground.

Chongyun would have finished the poor thing off, but by that time the rest of the camp had taken notice of him. Luckily enough for him, there were no archer towers at this one, because they were always a pain to deal with. Summoning the branch once again, Chongyun began to channel his elemental energy into it, but there was no time to see if he was even capable of freezing it over before another hillychurl rushed him. 

That being said, Chongyun avoided hitting it, instead pushing the cryo from his weapon into the ground with one solid hit. This sent a small shockwave of cryo to not just the closest hillychurl, but to a few others that had been approaching. 

Within the field Chongyun had created, he put no effort into channeling cryo, as his weapon was already infused with it. So, Chongyun took the time to attack the creatures that soon recovered from his first attack. 

Then, as always, a mitachurl came and decided it wanted to ruin Chongyun’s chances at success. And of course, Chongyun hardly had any time to decide if he wanted to try dodging  or not. That was always the issue the exorcist had. He put so much structure into everything he did, that when it came time to make split second decisions, he always fell short. That’s an issue that came with constantly suppressing impulses it seems. 

Just as Chongyun was getting his bearings to make a move, the exorcist caught sight of movement that wasn’t from that of an enemy. From a distance, he spotted Xiao summoning his polearm, preparing to enter the battle. 

That’s when Chongyun knew exactly what to do. 

He hardly had any time to carry out his quickly instructed plan, but that wasn’t important. He wasn’t going to need saving this time, and he wasn’t going to be disappointing people, and perhaps all the training and tarnished relationships would be worth it. All he needed to do here was do something right for once in his life. 

So, Chongyun stood his ground, and closed his eyes. He heard the footsteps of the mitachurl approaching at what would hopefully be the perfect speed. Then Chongyun channeled cryo into his hands in an all too familiar action. Then, he opened his eyes. 

Things seemed to go in slow motion as the mitachurl was right in front of him. Chongyun took a step to the side, feeling the wind from the beast's momentum all too close to his person. Swinging the branch with that movement, Chongyun released the burst of cryo into the object right before it made contact with the mitachurl still running forwards. 

Then, the next thing Chongyun knew, the beast fell forwards, sliding on the ground due to the speed of its running. Along with that, the exorcist felt a familiar weight in his hands. He looked down for a brief moment to the sight of a tree branch covered in ice in his hands. His eyes widened, but looking around, Chongyun realized he had no to time to bask in his accomplishment. 

Another thing worth noting however, was that Chongyun felt cold. Not alarmingly so, but it certainly wasn’t a feeling he was used to. That in mind, the exorcist decided that he’d already made it this far, if he was a cold, that meant he wouldn’t have to worry about his yang energy acting up, right? 

Chongyun saw a fast approaching hillychurl, and was able to take it down in several hits with the new abundance of force that came with the weight of the ice. Two more of the creatures running forwards with reckless abandon. Those too, were taken out very quickly. 

With every blow, Chongyun was still surprised his crazy plan had worked. Not just avoiding certain doom and applying his technique, but this whole plot to improve. He was actually defeating enemies with nothing but a stick and the vision on his hip. It was awesome, Chongyun had to admit. 

The mitachurl from before was back with a vengeance, but this time the exorcist was prepared, so he went with his classic move of crashing spirit blades down onto it. That debilitated the beast enough for Chongyun to finish it off. 

Turning to see if there were any more foes, Chongyun was met with the sight of an empty hillychurl camp. 

The exorcist’s breathing was heavy, and he could already feel the adrenaline leaving his body as he practically fell to the ground. He took a moment to process the fight he’d just had. By some impossible means, he actually did it. 

Sitting up, Chongyun laughed, because seriously, he finally did it. He beat but a simple group of hillychurls with a stupid tree branch after not being able to for an entire month. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Chongyun took notice of Xiao standing before him. 

He had his mask off, a small nearly unnoticeable smile on his face. “In four days, be at the Wangshu Inn by nightfall. Your training continues then.” Then, as always, Xiao stuck out his hand to help Chongyun up. 

This gesture made the exorcist pause for a moment, because maybe, just maybe, he finally earned this small gesture. It wasn’t out of pity, or because he wasn’t strong enough, but a kind of reward for a job well done. It wasn’t help because he needed it, but help because he finally deserved it. 

So, Chongyun took his teacher's hand, and was pulled to his feet. “I’ll see you then, Xiao.” 

Xiao huffed, and walked a short distance away, once again adorning his mask to his face. “Take care of yourself, because things will only get harder from here, human.” And just like that, he was gone.

Chapter Text

Xiao found himself at the Wangshu Inn, as he often did during his limited down time. Recently, he’d been getting less and less of that, all thanks to a particular human who didn’t know when to quit. Balancing having a full time apprentice and defending all of Liyue harbor from any foe that may come it’s way was not an easy task, it seemed. 

To put it simply, Xiao was tired. That wasn’t anything new, to say the least, but the consistency didn’t do anything to null the effects of this predicament. The karmic debt that weighed him down was just as much a hindrance and liability as ever. Yet, Xiao still stayed persistent in training this random kid he hardly even knew, despite the danger it meant for the student. 

Xiao would have sent him off the first day he met this human, and he tried. He really did, but perhaps Xiao was a bit too nice in giving an opportunity for the training to actually be carried out, despite the outlandish task he set for it to happen. So, here Xiao was over a month later, sitting on top of the Wangshu Inn after a long day of training a young exorcist who just didn’t know when to quit. 

Verr Goldet had brought Xiao a serving of the Inn’s special Almond Tofu, maybe an hour ago. On any other night, Xiao would have eaten all of it in minutes, but there it sat next to him, untouched and cold. 

What was Xiao doing in favor of eating his favorite food in the whole wide world? Well, he was contemplating what to do next. His student- Chongyun, he reminded himself. Xiao had no issue with remembering his name, but it was one he hardly spoke for a multitude of reasons- was more vigilant than Xiao had originally given him credit for. 

The stupid means of training he came up with on the spot during the first training session were in no way intended to be possible in such a short time. Well, it’s not like much thought was put into it in the first place. The adeptus had simply looked around for something that would challenge Chongyun to improve, and that just so happened to be a tree branch, so who was Xiao to be surprised at Chongyun’s quick success? Briefly, the adeptus noted that a month might seem much longer to a human than to himself. 

That being said, Xiao had no idea what to do for further training with Chongyun, and he had only given himself four days to figure it out. 

Xiao’s expression remained it’s usual soft scowl as he gazed at the moonlight scenery before him. The sky reflected on the waters of Dihua Marsh, creating the beautiful illusion of stars illuminating from the shallow depths. The tall daunting peak of Dragon Spine towered in the distance, a giant silhouette in its place. 

This view was nothing new to Xiao, so he simply sat in the silence of night, allowing his mind to scrounge for any bright ideas. For all the expertise he had in combat, his only experience training anyone was with Ganyu, and she was an entirely different case then Chongyun.

Then much to Xiao's dismay, a soft breeze that seemed to carry songs from afar danced in the air, and that was all the confirmation he needed.

“Venti,” he greeted simply, not giving any further acknowledgement of the figure sat next to him. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting with my favorite Adeptus?” The bard questioned from out of Xiao’s line of sight. 

Rolling his eyes, Xiao sat up and placed his hands behind him for extra support. “You speak as if you didn’t come to me,” he pointed out bluntly. 

A small chuckle came from Venti’s end, “I simply go where the wind takes me, and tonight it seems to have brought me here. So what’s on your mind, I would love to hear.” 

Now, Xiao was far from an expert of rhyming, or music, or anything of the like, but seriously? “Did you just rhyme here with hear?” He asked, finally directing his gaze to Venti. 

“And did you just dare question the greatest bard in all of Teyvat?” Venti was mock offended, and this did nothing to help Xiao, because surely it was intentional. Venti wouldn’t accidentally rhyme in such a poor way, even intoxicated he had a way with words, and he seemed pretty sober as far as Xiao could tell. 

The adeptus simply hummed in response, turning his head to face the horizon once again. He soon heard the faint sound of a lyre being strummed, something a conversation with Venti would be incomplete without. Even with their brief interactions that seemed to becoming less brief in recent times, Xiao was completely accustomed to this little habit of Venti's. The bard always seemed to have the innate need to strum a gentle tune, and if Xiao was totally honest with himself, he didn’t really mind. 

“But truly, what troubles you, friend? Surely, you don’t think I would just show up for no reason?” Venti sounded genuine, but that hint of playfulness could never quite leave his voice, now could it? 

Xiao put little effort into hiding the sigh that escaped his lips, “You’ve done more for less than to simply speak with me.” he muttered, pulling a knee closer to his chest and resting his elbow on top of it, while the other leg stayed pushed forwards. The small gesture of him sitting more comfortably was enough to tell Venti the two were going to get a chance to speak. Still, that wasn't going to stop him from sealing his victory. 

“So that means I can’t visit a friend when it seems fit?” The bard further questioned. At times like this, Xiao hated that Venti actually had a brain, despite how often he neglected to actually use it. So, not wanting to accept defeat, Xiao continued to look forwards, disregarding the others' presence.

Silence followed, only filled by the faint song from Venti’s lyre. Still, one of his questions remained unanswered, hanging in the air causing Xiao to be a bit on edge, not that he wasn’t on edge before. Meanwhile Venti seemed as relaxed and carefree as ever. 

After a short while, Venti spoke up again. “There’s something bothering you,” it was far from a question, and there was a hint of concern in his voice. Xiao wondered if it was really that obvious.

He hesitated, not sure where to start. “What is it like to live as a human?” He asked. Given Venti’s unique perspective, Xiao hoped this could give him some insight on how he should actually approach training one. 

The bard seemed a bit perplexed at the question, signaled by brief stutter in his usual perfect playing of the lyre. The reason he was shocked at the question was simply because Xiao asked it. The adeptus  always distanced himself from humanity so much, so the root of the words was nearly impossible for Venti to pinpoint without further inquiry. Still, he opted to answer, not seeing any harm that could come from it. 

“Well, it’s not as different as living as a god,” he started. “You go about life, just like me and you. You work, and you exist, doing all the things you need to. Still, while a human could live in the slums, hungry and poor, their life might end up as so much more.” Venti rhymed, because of course he did. If Xiao wanted a direct answer to anything, Venti would be the last place he looked. Yet as always, his odd words still held some meaning worth delving into. 

The remaining slice from Xiao prompted Venti to continue. “Gods see everything through an all powerful and omnipresent eye, all because while they live, humans die. For what could the life of these humans mean, if their tales are not sung, and their lives are unseen?” On that note, the bard’s tone changed from the light, almost sing-songy one, to something a bit more somber. 

“Xiao, humans are a lot more fragile than that of you and I, in a lot of senses that is. But still…” there was a certain wistfulness in his voice, “they are capable of so much. They look at themselves in a world filled with gods, yet still try to be significant in the grand scheme of things. They will shout at the top of their lungs ‘I’m here,’ if not to anyone but the gods themselves.

“I can’t tell you what it’s like to be a human, even if I  tried, but I can tell you that there is a lot more to them than what meets the eye. They have lives, sorrows, success, tales to be sung, and it’s a wonderful thing to live among.” Venti finished, and Xiao still gave no clear sign that he was listening. 

He had delved even further into his thoughts at Venti’s words. All he needed to piece together how this information could be relevant to furthering his training of Chongyun. This didn’t really give him a lot to work with, but perhaps it was Xiao’s fault for phrasing his question the way he did. 

“Why do you ask?” Venti eventually spoke. 

Xiao signed and decided how to answer, “I’ve found myself more involved in the endeavors of humans than I would like.” 

“Oh, an endeavor of the heart perhaps?” Venti questioned playfully. 

Finally, Xiao turned back at Venti simply to look at him disapprovingly. “No,” he stated flatly. 

Venti huffed before continuing. "Glad to know your heart still belongs to me, but indulge me. How exactly have you become caught up with humanity?” 

“I-” Xiao had no idea how to start. How exactly does one tell another, ‘oh yeah. Y’know how I’ve been avoiding any unnecessary interaction with humans for their own safety for a long ass time? Well, this random child approached me and asked to be trained so I made him fight a giant monster, and he did. So, now I’ve been training him for a month and he's too strong and I don’t know what to do now.’ 

“Don’t be shy, you can talk to me Xiao.” Venti prompted, and despite how light hearted he seemed, Xiao found an undeniable truth in those words. 

“I started training a human,” the adeptus put simply. 

Suddenly, things got much more quiet as Venti’s gentle strumming of his lyre came to an abrupt halt. He looked at Xiao in utter shock for a moment as he processed the words. “Well that’s unexpected.” 

“You think?” The adeptus retorted, because in all reality, he hadn’t expected things to play out the way they did either, not that he was particularly upset about it. Perhaps just stressed.  

“So, how did you end up in this situation, I must ask?” Now that things sunk in, Venti seemed more amused than anything. “Are you being threatened, bribed perhaps?” 

Xiao rolled his eyes, “The kid came to me.” 

“And yet you still decided to train this human. Is the Vigilant Yaksha going soft, as they say? Ehe, I’ll be sure to include that in a song one day,” the bard teased. 

“It’s not my fault the kid was able to kill a Primo Geovishap,” Xiao mumbled, annoyed. In his defense, he really didn't think that was going to happen. So much so that he went to check if it was really dead after Chongyun had come to him with the topaz.  

“You’ve thought of humans as less for fighting greater foe, so explain to me what makes this different, I just have to know.” 

“I don’t know Venti!” The adeptus snapped. “I didn’t expect this kid to actually fight a giant monster. You should have seen him when he came back afterwards. He looked half dead, but still seemed willing to fight some other life threatening beast if it meant I would train him. So what if I agreed to his outlandish request? He wasn't going to have it any other way..” 

Venti’s eyes widened at the sudden aggression, but he took no offence. In fact, his expression softened slightly at what Xiao finished with. Both parties knew that Xiao had no problem rejecting peoples requests no matter how determined or desperate they seemed. So, Venti pushed further. "Tell me more about this human,” he requested. 

Xiao in return let out an exasperated sigh. “His name is Chongyun, and he’s an exorcist from Liyue Harbor, that’s all I know about his personal life. He’s also one of the most self sacrificing idiots I’ve ever met, all for the sake of getting stronger and protecting people. Do humans not understand that they need to take care of themselves? Now, I have to come up with a whole new way to train him because he improved too quickly.” 

Upon finishing his words, Xiao realized that he might have shown that he cared about Chongyun (Which he totally doesn’t by the way), just a little too much. 

Venti simply hummed, and finally went back to strumming the instrument that could never seem to leave his side. “Reminds me of someone,” he commented.

Xiao ignored these words and just continued speaking.  “He’s wasting both of our time if he thinks he can truly learn the ways of the adepti,” while his words seemed cruel, the tone didn’t quite match. It was painfully obvious to Venti that he just didn’t know any other way to phrase things

“Well,” the bard started, “What is he good at?” 

Xiao pondered this for a moment, “He’s good with his weapon and has gotten better at optimizing the power from his vision.” Those were the first things that came to mind. 

“Then it’s really simple my dear friend, just teach him the things he’s not the best at,” Venti smiled as he gave this simple answer that Xiao somehow hadn’t thought of himself. 

“And how should I know what those things are?” He deadpanned. 

A small laugh couldn’t help but escape Venti’s lips. “Have you tried asking?”

Now, if it were anyone else in this situation, they would have blushed because really? Not realizing that simply asking someone something was an option was pretty embarrassing to say the least. But, it was a little known fact that Xiao didn’t blush, it just wasn’t something he did. Rather, he just looked dumbfounded at his own foolishness. 

“No,” was all he had to say in response. 

“Looks like you have your answer then.” 

The pair shared a brief moment of silent eye contact before they both silently decided to look at the view before them. The slight breeze that followed Venti almost everywhere,  mixed with the song from the lyre created a melody that held an emotion Xiao couldn’t quite place. To this day however, he still had no clue how there always seemed to be some kind of gentle tune playing wherever he went. Archon or not, it didn’t quite make sense. 

That aside, Xiao felt a small bit of relief, because he had some sort of angle now. Still, that didn’t mean he had time to rest forever. Not just in terms of training Chongyun, but he still had a responsibility as an adeptus. Contracts aside, Liyue was his home and he would do everything in his power to protect it, even from himself if it came down to it. 

That was his burden, but even still. With all the excess time he’d been spending with his student, it was getting harder to manage everything. Still, a thousand years worth of suffering prepared Xiao for a small bit of extra stress. 

If anything, at least training Chongyun was giving him the opportunity to see more into the humanity he’d been avoiding for so long. This in mind did nothing to null the hesitance that Xiao had in terms of forming any real bonds with the kid he’d taken under his wing. Closeness meant that people would get hurt. However, it seemed it was already too late for that, but Xiao could pretend he didn’t care about Chongyun all he wanted. 

He wasn’t the teacher Chongyun needed or deserved, Xiao knew that. He was hardly a viable option in terms of training Ganyu, and she was half-adeptus. He was Conqueror of Demons, Adeptus Xiao: The Vigilant Yaksha in the eyes of humans. To himself, he was nothing but a weapon used to protect these humans. 

Even still, Chongyun approached Xiao with that spark in his eyes and a determination that seemed distantly familiar in a way he couldn't quite place. So, Xiao heard him out. The adeptus honestly had no clue how the exorcist was able to find him, but being summoned by humans started to become a more common occurrence and Xiao wasn’t all too fond of that notion. He wasn’t human, and he still wanted to keep a distance from humanity.

Yet here he was having a human as his apprentice when he trained every day. It was almost funny when Xiao thought about it, almost. 

“So,” Venti’s voice once again cut through his thoughts. “How have you been?” 

“Talking in circles is a waste of time, Venti,” Xiao replied. Hadn’t they already talked about this just before? Perhaps he should redact that thought about Venti having a brain. 

“Well, lucky for me I’m asking a new question,” Venti’s tone softened. “You are far from the most well off individual, so humor me for another moment. How have you been?” 

“I’m fine,” Xiao huffed. 

“I don’t doubt it but…” Venti seemed to be choosing his next words carefully. “Has it been bothering you?” 

Xiao knew exactly what Venti was talking about despite the vagueness of his words: the karmic debt that weighed on Xiao every waking moment. The very thing that almost drove the adeptus to the brink of madness until Venti played that song that seemed to make everything okay, for even just for a brief period. He didn't like to think about that fateful night for more reasons then he could count on his hand. 

“It’s nothing new to me, I can fare well on my own.” Xiao answered. 

“You know, you are always saying how others can call out to you, Xiao. Have you ever thought of calling out to someone yourself?” Venti inquired.  

Xiao let this sink in for a brief moment. “If the day ever comes where my own burden becomes too much to handle, that will be my own responsibility. I have a debt to pay in the from of my own suffering Venti, you know this. And you should know there's nothing that can be done about it.” 

Venti sighed the melody he’d been drawing out finally coming to an end. Then he stood, “Then on the day it becomes too much for you to handle, how about I play a song for you again? All on my own behalf,” he asked, extending a hand to help Xiao stand.  

With a huff, Xiao took the silent offer. He still had work to do after all.

Chapter Text

After the grueling month of nonstop training that Chongyun insisted on making oh so very difficult for himself, he made the executive decision to pass out for fifteen hours. It felt like with his recent success, he was finally allowed to take some time to rest, as irrational as that thought process was. 

When he got home after finally completing the simple task of beating a mere camp of hilly churls (well it was pretty difficult, but that’s not the important part) he made a half assed attempt at getting ready for bed despite it being hardly past noon. He flopped down on his bed without much care after only having the energy to change into a more comfortable pair of shorts, leaving him shirtless. 

If Chongyun dreamt during the time he was asleep, he had no recollection of doing so. All he knew is that he fell asleep at one point, and was now being awoken by someone slightly shaking his shoulders. He shrugged the hand off and pulled his covers tighter to his chest, but then he processed what just happened. 

Someone was in his room. 

With a jolt, Chongyun sat up and looked in the direction of the mystery person who had awoken him. It was times like this Chongyun regretted not keeping his vision on him while he slept. Luckily, rather then some deranged lunatic, Chongyun  was met with the familiar sight of Xiangling. The fact that it was someone who he knew that inexplicably showed up in his room on a late afternoon settled his nerves a bit, but he still had a lot of questions. 

Despite the apparent drowsiness that hung over the exorcist as he arrived home the previous day, he was fairly certain he locked the door when he got there just based on habit. That being said, the pure fact that Xiangling was in his house, and waking him up was enough to put the teen on edge. Still in a state of shock, the chef decided to break the silence. 

“Well good morning sleepy head, I thought you’d be asleep forever,” she laughed. That statement alone was enough to baffle Chongyun even more. 

“How long have you been in my house?” he asked. 

Xiangling giggled a bit more, “It’s not like I’ve been sitting in your room all day. I came by this morning, but your parents said you were sleeping. When I came back, they were gone, so I just decided to let myself in-”

“How did you get in?” Chongyun interrupted. He was still not awake enough to care much about common courtesy. 

“Oh!” Xiangling exclaimed as if giving the explanation had slipped her mind. “I made a copy of the key you gave Xingqiu ages ago.” She answered, not giving Chongyun any form of solace. While he trusted Xiangling greatly, he wasn't all to happy with the notion that people could just make copies of his house key without permission. 

“Anyways, when I got here, you were still sleeping so I figured I’d do a bit of cooking, just to pass the time, y’know. Then, after about an hour I figured it wouldn’t hurt to wake you up, so here we are.” 

Chongyun had no clue what to do with this information. He was still half asleep despite the shock that had woken him up, thus not allowing him to process exactly what was going on. Xiangling took the continued silence as a queue to speak up again. 

“I know the last time we talked was a bit… tense.” That was the understatement of the year. “But, I said we’d talk later and now is later so-” 

Suddenly, Xiangling cut herself off, and the cheerful look in her eye changed to something almost fearful. Chongyun, perplexed, followed her gaze which no longer met his, but was instead fixated on his exposed torso. More specifically, the large scar that rested on his side. He honestly forgot it was there sometimes, but then again, he preferred not to look at the mark. It often sent him into a fit of existentialism that he would rather avoid. 

“Oh, right,” he commented, realizing that the familiar sight of his past injury could prove quite shocking to others. 

He looked back towards Xiangling, and it almost looked like she wanted to reach out and touch the scarred skin, just to prove to herself it was real. It reminded the exorcist much of the look he had the first time he got a good look at the scar. Then Xiangling caught sight of the faded electrical scars that traced Chongyun’s arms, making pink lines that almost resembled tree branches or something of that nature, stretching from the tips of his fingers to past his elbows. 

Chongyun could practically feel Xingling’s eyes bearing into him, fixated on the many injuries and scars he’d gotten in the past month. He felt extremely uncomfortable, but still didn’t quite have the energy to do anything about it. 

“Chongyun,” the chef stated. After a beat of silence, she continued. “What in the name of the archons have you been up to?” She asked, disbelievingly.   

Sighing, Chongyun decided to answer the only way he knew how, “Trai-” 

“This isn’t training, Chongyun,” Xiangling cut off before he could even finish the word. “Training doesn’t cause injuries like this. And if you really have been training, then it certainly hasn’t been safe. I know you like to push yourself, but this is too far, whatever it is. Just tell me why whatever you’ve been doing has caused all this. I-” She seemed to be searching for the right words. 

“Chongyun, I’m worried about you. So please, just be honest, okay?” 

Chongyun couldn’t have lied even if he wanted to. Not when he could clearly hear the hurt in Xiangling’s voice; not after he’d worried her (and the others) for so long. Despite this, and despite every fiber of his being telling him not to, Chongyun still thought it would be best to avoid certain truths for the time being. So, he chose his next words carefully. 

“I assume Xingqiu told you about the Geovishap?” The exorcist began. Xiangling simply nodded. “I… I had to fight it so I could get someone to train me. That’s where I got a lot of these scars. My parents thought it would be best to improve more in all fields if I wanted to continue working as an exorcist.” 

The chef pondered these answers. “Okay, but why would you put yourself in so much danger for someone to train you? Aren't there plenty of experienced exorcists who could do that? What made this one teacher so special, and why would they want you to risk your life?” 

That last question was one Chongyun had never really considered, but as he constantly reminded himself: Who was he to question the ways of an adeptus? Speaking of which, Chongyun had to avoid telling Xiangling about Xiao. 

“He’s um… The person who’s training me isn’t an exorcist, but he’s experienced enough in the ways of expelling evil from this world that I figured he’d have more insight then any exorcist in Liyue.” That seemed good enough, right? Still, Xiangling looked like she wanted more answers. 

“Okay… I'll trust you for now. But please, don't get yourself hurt like this, okay?" There was a subtle desperation in her eyes, but Chongyun had already broken enough promises recently, he didn't want to make one he couldn't keep .

"I-" Then, Xiangling placed a gentle hand on Chongyun's arm, and that settled it. "I promise Xiangling." 

The chef visibly relaxed and pulled her hand away, “Good. So, I bet you’re wondering why else I came to visit you.” 

And just like that, Xiangling was back to her normal cheery self. “Mhm.” the exorcist replied. 

“Well, Hu Tao was talking about some ghost stuff or something happening tonight in some mysterious location she refused to tell me. We wanted you to join. Also Xingqiu may or may not be tagging  along, so this is sure to be interesting, haha.” She sounded guilty. Not in a genuinely guilty sort of way, but in a 'haha, sorry. I know this will be awkward, but I will physically force you to hang out with your best friend if I have to even if you aren't on good terms right now, sorry.' sort of way. 

But here’s the thing, it’s not that Chongyun didn’t want to see Xingqiu again. It's just that after the events from two nights ago, he didn’t know how good of an idea it would be. The exorcist certainly didn’t want to make the situation awkward for Hu Tao or Xiangling, and whoever else was tagging along. Any drama he had to deal with was his own. “Does he know I’m coming?” 

“Glad to know you’ve already accepted the invite and, maybe? I didn’t tell him, but, when Hu Tao was talking about going, she said your name so I’m sure he knows you being there is a possibility.” The chef thought aloud. “Don’t worry about it though, if he’s being grumpy it’s not your fault. Well it kind of is, but you get the idea. Besides, we all need to catch up, y’know?” 

“Yeah,” Chongyun was already working to convince himself that things were going to work out just fine in favor of not getting too worried. “When are we meeting, and where?” 

“Oh, I figured you and I could just go meet Hu Tao at the parlor together.” Xiangling clarified. 

“Okay, I’ll get ready then,” with that, Chongyun pushed the covers completely off of himself, and stood to find some clothes for the day. He found a suitable outfit, and went to begin changing, but then he realized something, “Um, Xiangling?” 

The chef was still in the room, now near one of Chongyun’s bookshelves, examining the contents. “Oh, right, sorry.” She giggled out before leaving to the kitchen, closing the door behind her.

Soon enough, Chongyun and Xiangling arrived at the Wangsheng funeral parlor to see an excited looking Hu Tao out front. “Yo! You two made it!” She called as the pair got closer. “Chongyun, so good to see you!” 

“You too,” he said quickly, a small smile on his face. As much as Chongyun was an introvert, it felt nice to finally be with his friends again. 

Xiangling looked around briefly before saying, “Now we just need to wait for Xingqiu and Xinyan, right?” she asked Hu Tao. 

“Mhm,” Hu Tao giggled. “I hope you are brave enough for the scare that awaits you tonight,” she said more to Xiangling than Chongyun. He was a lot less fun to scare after all, not that Chongyun got scared all too easily anyways. After a lifetime of learning how to fend off evil spirits, he didn’t fear whatever encounters with the undead Hu Tao was going to put him through. Perhaps if things did go wrong, he would finally be able to exorcise a spirit for real. 

Pushing those thoughts aside, Chongyun redirected his attention back to what Hu Tao had just said. “What exactly are we doing tonight anyways?” He asked. 

“Telling you now would ruin the surprise, silly. You’ll just have to wait and see,” the director said with a slight smirk. 

“Hu Tao, if you’re trying to scare us, it’s not going to work,” Xiangling huffed out. She didn’t sound too certain of her words, however. It almost seemed like she was a bit nervous already. 

Before Hu Tao could reply, her attention was drawn to the figure clad in dark blue who slowly approached the group. “Master Xingqiu, glad to see you could join us.” 

“No need for formalities, friend. I’m happy to make your acquaintance,” Xingqiu smiled, doing the same chivalrous bow he always did during greetings. 

Chongyun was now significantly more tense than he was just moments before. He knew Xingqiu would be joining the group for whatever in archons name Hu Tao had planned, but knowing and experiencing were two different things. The exorcist suddenly wanted to run far away to avoid whatever conflict was sure to arise. Staying was a decision he would surely regret later. Because alas, Chongyun couldn’t seem to move as Xingqiu looked from Hu Tao to him and Xiangling. His smile turned into something far more strained, “It seems you finally had the time to join us again.” the words held a certain passive aggression that was so much worse then Xingqiu simply telling Chongyun to go fuck himself. 

“Uh, y-yeah,” the exorcist stuttered out. The tension in the air already felt thick enough to cut with a knife. 

“So!” Xiangling exclaimed, “You excited?” 

Xingqiu hummed, “I’m sure tonight will be a pleasant experience.” Never in Chongyun’s entire life has he disagreed with a single statement more. 

Xiangling, Hu Tao, and Xingqiu continued chattering on as they all awaited for the arrival of Xinyan, and Chongyun stayed quiet. This wasn’t a rare occurrence during any sort of social gathering or get together, but this time was different. Usually, Chongyun preferred to stay more quiet and listen to the conversation, but he was still engaged. 

This time was different, and not just because of the unresolved issues with him and Xingqiu. The exorcist felt some kind of otherness from his small group of friends he hadn’t felt in a very long time. It was a sense that it wasn’t his place to be involved in their conversation. So, he just stood quietly off to the side, unassuming and out of the way.  

“Hey guys!” A familiar voice called that seemed to be rapidly approaching. Chongyun looked towards the sound of the shout only to be met with the sight of Xinyan walking over. She always held such a presence in any situation, it would be something near impossible to ignore. 

“Hi Xinyan!” Xiangling called, happy to see the musician. The girl in question didn’t hesitate to envelop the chef in a tight hug as soon as she was close enough. Chongyun continued to stand to the side as she made her more than passionate greetings to everyone. 

Then, Xinyan looked Chongyun dead in the eye, “Well I’ll be damned, you're not dead.” She said with a bit of a smirk. 

Chongyun would have said something, but Xinyan all but picked Chongyun up in a bone crushing hug. His arms were pinned to his sides, and the natural heat that seemed to radiate off of the musician (even more than average pyro user) was not agreeing with the exorcists' yang energy. “It’s good to see you,” Chongyun choked out. 

After what felt like an eternity, Xinyan let go. That’s when Hu Tao interrupted, “Now that we’re all here, let’s get going. The dead aren’t a very patient bunch.” 

Despite how awkward this whole situation was already, Chongyun couldn’t help but be a bit excited. He would never pass up the chance to encounter any type of spirit, evil or not. The exorcist had his fair share of close encounters with regular ghosts during his outings, and he had grown somewhat fond of these beings. It was just one step closer to being able to properly exercise an evil spirit. 

While still having no clue what Hu Tao had in store for the group, Chongyun was not hesitant to follow along with whatever the director had planned. 

As the group of friends began leaving Liyue, Chongyun took note of the fact that they weren’t leaving via the main entrance to the harbor, but rather the back entrance that led to the yaksha statues Chongyun was all too familiar with. It felt a bit odd to be in that place with the company of his friends, rather than just Xiao. Still, the passing was brief and the exorcist had no time to dwell on such thoughts. 

During the trip along the path to archons know where, Chongyun remained for the most part, completely silent. It was all but force of habit at this point, as walks with Xiao geld a familiar silence Chongyun was accustomed to. This time however, things were far from silent as his friends chatted in front of him as he trailed behind. His slow pace was also far from something he was used to. 

The thing is, Chongyun still didn’t feel like it was his place to join in on the conversation, but it became more than that. It became something that he wished he didn't know quite so well. Chongyun didn’t feel like he was entirely there, finding it increasingly more difficult to ground himself in a situation that didn’t require his full concentration. This was a familiar side effect of constant training Chongyun had long since learned to cope with. Still, coping didn't mean enjoyment. 

As he looked at the smiling faces of his friends, he felt more far away than he had in a long time. The exorcist always told himself that the training and the pain that came with it was worth it for the simple sake of getting stronger. Physical pain was something Chongyun was willing to go through, hell, he was just as willing to go through emotional pain if it came down to is.

This however, wasn’t pain. It was something much worse. This separation from the people he cared about so much was numbing and far more agonizing than any pain could ever be. 

Before Chongyun knew it, the group was at Qingxu pool, a place he was only vaguely familiar with. The sun was reaching its final hours, coating the landscape in long consuming shadows, and golden hues of light, the first signs of stars visible towards the opposite end on the horizon. Chongyun took a deep breath of the humid, yet cool late day’s air. All a futile attempt to remind himself where he was and what he was doing. 

“Here we are!” Hu Tao announced, delighted. The director looked upon the towering ruins, an almost mischievous spark in her eyes. 

“And why exactly here?” Xiangling asked genuinely. “I mean, I haven’t heard of much ghost activity from this area. Do you know anything Chongyun?” 

Not quite prepared to answer the question, let alone hold a conversation, Chongyun wracked his brain for any sort of information he knew. “Well-um… There are some stories that could allude to paranormal activity. An evil god once ruled over this area, these are just remains of them, and their people. That could certainly lead to some paranormal activity, but I haven’t had many expeditions in this area.” 

Hu Tao shook her head disapprovingly but it was light hearted all the same, “Don’t spoil anything, we’ve still got a long night ahead of us.” 

“If I am correct, this area was underwater for a long time. It was only the archon war that allowed it to resurface,” Xingqiu chimed in. 

Chongyun head definitely heard this before, “Yes, I just can’t remember if it was Rex Lapis who altered the land to clear the water, or if it was the Hydro Archon who drained it. Perhaps it was some other deity entirely.” 

For a brief moment, things felt like they were just how they always were. Xingqiu and Chongyun providing their seemingly endless knowledge on legends and myths to the group. It was almost more natural to complete one another's thoughts then to not. The subtle tension that had been handing over the group dissipated for a short time. 

Then, it was suddenly as if both parties remembered they weren’t on good terms, and that tension returned without a hitch. “Uh, yeah… That- I don’t know either,” Xingqiu stuttered out. 

Silence hung in the air that nobody was sure how to fill. Chongyun found the ground very interesting, and Xingqiu thought the same of a tree off in the distance. The other three just looked between the two, and then each other. They were communicating something that neither Chongyun or Xingqiu really wanted to figure out. Who needed that when you could stare at something as if it held all the secrets to the universe, when in all reality it was just a sad pathetic rock that sat on the ground. 

Briefly, the exorcist recalled that Xiao had said that if he needed saving, he could simply call out his name. Chongyun was pretty sure he’d rather die than be in this situation, so perhaps asking for the aid of the adeptus would be necessary. Having The Vigilant Yaksha himself show up was a way to break awkward tension right? If not, then maybe he would just just throw Chongyun into the sun for wasting his time. Either didn't seem like the worst possible outcome. 

“So, what has that got to do with ghosts?” Xinyan finally broke the silence, allowing Chongyun to release a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

Hu Tao’s grin returned as if nothing ever happened, “We’ll get to that. Just follow me, and watch your step. These ruins aren’t the safest place in Tevat. I already have plenty of customers I need to deal with at the parlor, four more all at once would be quite the handful.” 

“That’s not funny Hu Tao,” Xiangling grumbled, poorly hidden nervousness clear in her voice. 

Again, Hu Tao giggled and continued her way into the ruins, the other four trailing behind her like brain dead ducklings following their mother. Xingqiu got to the front of the pack as soon as possible while Chongyun stayed as far to the back as he could. There were so many unspoken words that needed to be spoken but neither of them had any idea how to say them. Perhaps it would have been better if Chongyun just went back to bed after Xiangling woke him up and slept for another fifteen hours hours. 

As the group began to traverse upwards in the dilapidated structure, Xingqiu looked like he desperately wanted to say something to Chongyun, or maybe that look meant he wanted to punch him. At a certain point, was there really much of a difference. This was apparent every time the pair made eye contact, that was followed by both parties looking away as fast as possible, and Xingqiu scoffing. 

“Hu Tao, this whole affair seems quite interesting, I’m happy that everyone was finally able to put other less important affairs aside and do this,” Xingqiu told the director, clearly targeted at somebody else. 

Chongyun could deal with awkward tension as awful as it was. But, passive aggression was not something he had the brain capacity nor will power to deal with. It was so much worse than arguments, or even just being ignored. Luckily, Hu Tao seemed to brush off the remark. 

“I needed to come out here tonight anyways, I just figured I’d let you all tag along,” She said with a grin as she pulled herself up a very broken down set of stairs. They more resembled a poorly constructed wall at this point. Once she got to the top of it, she turned around and kneeled down to give Xingqiu a hand. 

“Thank you my liege,” the book worm spoke as he was pulled up. He then followed a similar course of action to Hu Tao, turning to help Xinyan traverse the terrain, “Allow me.” 

Xingqiu proceeded to assist both Xinyan and Xiangling up, even though in all reality none of them needed the help. Being skilled fighters meant all of them had the strength to climb up on their own. It was more the meaning in the gesture that mattered. Things were going fine until it was Chongyun’s turn to climb up. While Xingqiu could be very annoying when he wanted to be, he was never outright rude. So, despite his current annoyance with his friend, he wasn't willing to be down right petty. He extended a hand, just as he had with the two girls before. 

This situation felt oddly familiar to Chongyun. He would almost never refuse this simple offer from Xingqiu, but this time was different. Chongyun didn’t need his help here, and he knew it. After how he hurt Xingqiu, he knew he didn’t deserve this. 

Chongyun proceeded to ignore Xingqiu’s offer and climb up on his own. The bookworm blinked to process this, looking very confused, and almost shocked. Still, he didn’t say anything as Chongyun made his way up the eroded stairs on his own. As he got up, he brushed himself off, and shared a moment of eye contact with Xingqiu. 

Instead of breaking it right away, Chongyun took a moment to really look at his friend, but he couldn’t get much of a read, but the look in his eyes was different then the one from before. If he didn't know any better, Chongyun would have thought he looked hurt. Eventually the exorcist then carried on towards the others, leaving Xingqiu to get up on his own. The gesture wasn’t meant to be rude or aggressive, he simply didn’t want or need the help. Future outcomes would show Xingqiu did not see things quite the same way. 

As the group proceeded forwards, Chongyun didn’t notice Xingqiu hadn’t moved from his spot until Xiangling said something. “Hey, you coming?” She called. 

The bookworm seemed to snap out of some sort of trance, and stood up quickly. “Yes, just thought I saw something,” 

As he caught up, the group continued a bit further on the less than safe path through the ruins. They ended up in a small room that seemed to have a solid enough floor. Barely standing walls allowed for rays of the dying sun to illumine the room just enough to see. Other then that, the area was near completely dark until Hu Tao lit a small fire that was already set up for some unknown reason that Chongyun wasn't going to delve further into. 

“Looks like the time is upon us. Gather round, I have a story to tell you all,” Hu Tao said, sinister yet still playful. 

The fire lighting the otherwise dark room, as well as the broken down structure, and the sounds of nearby monsters certainly set the tone for whatever ghost story Hu Tao was prepping to tell. Perhaps everything from this very unpleasant night would end up being worth it for Chongyun, because at the end of the day he was a sucker for a good ghost story, for obvious reasons. 

“Hu Tao, you better not be trying to scare us,” Xiangling huffed out, no true aggression in her tone. 

“The point isn’t to scare you,” she assured. “But that can be half the fun,” she mumbled loud enough for everyone to hear. 

“You sure are something else Hu Tao,” Xinyan commented with a chuckle.  

As everyone sat down, Chongyun sat as far away from Xingqiu as possible and continued his thorough investigation of the ever so interesting floor. If he didn't think about it, Chongyun could almost pretend he wasn't there. 

“This place was once ruled by an evil god,” Hu Tao jumped right into the story. “Obviously, this god isn’t around anymore. Even gods can die, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone. They say that their karma never leaves our world, and seeps into unfortunate souls. Tonight is rumored to be the knight these infected souls come out, wandering aimlessly as they can’t leave if the karma never does. They’re quite the sight to see, so that’s why we came here tonight.” 

Chongyun took in this information, and the concept seemed oddly familiar. Not based on his own experience obviously, but it’s something he’s heard of somewhere. Perhaps he should look further into the concept of this karma in the future. 

“Is it really safe for us to be here then?” Xiangling asked, concerned, and rightfully so. 

“As long as you don’t get too close, hehe,” because that was assuring. 

Xiangling visibly shuddered from where she was sitting next to Chongyun, “We’re not gonna get hurt, right?” The exorcist almost put a comforting hand on her shoulder, a protective habit that he picked up over the years. 

“Rumor has it that there are deities who protect people from this karma,” Hu Tao put matter-of-factly. "it's said that they have to carry this burden themselves." 

“Yeah, but I’d rather not get myself killed for the sake of seeing some ghost,” Xinyan chimed in. 

Then Xingqiu scoffed, “I know someone who feels very differently,” and rather than being playful, he clearly meant that as an insult. Chongyun knew everyone was aware Xingqiu was referring to him, and he wanted nothing more than to shrivel up and die. The bookworm then continued, “Hu Tao, when should these spirits show up. They seem quite interesting.” 

The director thought for a moment, “They should already be out and about by now, I’m surprised we haven’t seen any.” 

Then once again, Xingqiu scoffed, “I wonder why?” 

“Maybe we’re just in a bad spot to see them,” Xiangling offered. 

“Hmm, Hu Tao, is this possible?” Xingqiu queried but it seemed like he wasn’t all too interested in the answer. Perhaps because he already had one. It was an answer Chongyun didn't want to acknowledge, but it was impossible not to. 

“Nope, this spot should allow us to look down at the spirits very easily,” the director answered for herself. 

Xingqiu crossed his arms, “Well, there has to be something that’s keeping us from seeing these spirits then, wouldn’t you agree?” 

“I have to go,” Chongyun said, quickly standing up. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Xiangling called as the exorcist departed the area. He wasn’t going in the direction the group came from, however. He just walked towards the nearest exit in hopes to get out of that situation. He didn’t want to deal with this, and he didn’t want to ruin his friend's night just by being there. 

Only half paying attention to where he was going, Chongyun climbed a ladder and ended up on a platform outside. Sitting down and leaning up against the nearest wall, Chongyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn’t going to have a breakdown right now, he could do that in the privacy of his own home when nobody was around to see it. Right now, he just needed to stay calm. 

A small part of Chongyun cursed Xiangling for inviting him to this endeavor, but a bigger part of him knew it wasn’t her fault that things were going so horribly. He didn’t mean for things to turn out like this, really. He just wished he could fix what he did, because despite how Xingqiu was the only one who was being open about his frustrations with Chongyun, he knew he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. 

In that moment, sitting under the stars after walking out on his friends, Chongyun asked himself a simple question: If he could go back and not start training under Xiao, would he? Was the month worth of ignoring his friends really worth it? 

Chongyun hated himself for the answer. 

He knew that in just a few days, he would go back to training, but after this whole affair, he figured that might be for the better. He didn't want it to be, because he loved his friends. He didn't want to ignore them, but it felt nearly impossible to insert himself back into the group after his extended absence. 

“Chongyun,” a familiar voice spoke. 

He opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound, only to be met with the sight of an unamused looking Xingqiu. Chongyun stood with a start, not wanting to make this situation any worse for himself. 

“I-” he tried to say.

“Just be quiet for a minute,” Xingqiu interrupted. “Why did you come out here tonight?” 

“I was invited,” the exorcist answered simply. He must have looked like a dear in the head lights. 

Xingqiu just rolled his eyes, “You have a lot of nerve, you know? Do you have any idea how worried I was when you disappeared? Chongyun, I would stay up all night just looking around for you, and the only reason I knew you weren’t dead is because I consulted your parents. But they didn’t even know what you were up to.” He was getting angrier as he continued.

“Did you even think about how you were hurting us when you were off ‘training,’ as you say. For a time, Xiangling was asking every customer who came to the restaurant if they had seen you. Xinyan almost had to cancel a gig because she was too distraught to perform. Archons, even Hu Tao, got nervous at one point. If you’re so adamant about training to protect people, you’re doing a pretty bad job at making your friends feel safe, Chongyun.

“What are you even training for at this point? It’s not as if you can’t defend yourself. Did you just decide to stop working as an exorcist for some power trip? I mean really, it’s like you don’t care about anyone but yourself at this point-” 

“Can you just shut the fuck up?” Chongyun finally snapped. He had been trying to brush off Xingqiu’s words, but it finally became too much, and he honestly didn’t care about holding back anymore. 

“Do you seriously think I’ve just been off because of some power trip? Because I can assure you that’s not it.” Chongyun had taken a small step towards Xingqiu. 

The teen didn’t seem to believe Chongyun in the slightest, “I have a hard time believing it was for anything else. Exorcism was half your life a month ago, and you don’t even seem to care about that anymore, let alone your so called friends. ” 

Letting out a disbelieving scoff, the exorcist continued, “It’s not like I had much of a choice in the matter. You seem to know quite a bit about how my congenital positivity works based on what you said earlier, so allow me to elaborate. I wasn’t exactly doing much as an exorcist anyways, and my parents seemed to agree. Now I can’t do anything until I learn how to suppress it.” 

“So you thought the best option was to just run off and train alone for over a month? Do you think you’re so high and mighty simply because you do things yourself? You know, it wouldn’t kill you to accept people's help sometimes,” Xingqiu rebutted. 

Chongyun wasn’t having any of this. “As if you ever helped me much before anyways. What with always trying to set me off. Also, don’t think I didn’t realize how you were always sending me off to exorcise imaginary ghosts.” 

“Like you would be able to know if they were there anyways,” the other commented under his breath. Despite this, Chongyun still heard it loud and clear. 

“Like that’s my fucking fault. You and I both know if I could get rid of my yang energy I would. There’s a reason I have to train so much to control that.” 

Then, Xingqiu said something he really shouldn’t have. “Maybe it would be better if you didn’t. Everyone prefers you when you let that shit take over, you know!” 

Then silence followed. The worst silence that had come up all night. It was the silence that came with the stillness of a lull in a battle. The one that tells you things are far from over, but now you just have a brief moment to process things before the fighting starts all over again. The silence that comes with a blow that was never meant to be dealt, and Xingqiu seemed to realize this. 

“You know what,” Chongyun said with a dry chuckle. “It was for the best that I disappeared for a month. Clearly, you didn’t want me around to begin with. Honestly, I don’t know how we’ve been friends for so long.” 

Snapping out of the regret almost as fast as it came, Xingqiu responded. “The feeling is mutual.” 

“Well, let’s just cut it off here then, shall we?” Chongyun offered. 

“It would be my pleasure,” A sarcastic venom was laced in both of their tones. 

Chongyun began walking forwards to leave, “Tell the others I went home, I bet you’ll all have a great time without me.” 

And with that, Chongyun began the journey home, a feeling that he couldn’t quite place, dragging him down. All that he knew was that the feeling wasn’t good. Even still, Chongyun wasn’t going to have to think about that for long as he would be back to training soon enough. Staying away from his friends, if he could even call them that anymore, was exactly what he needed to do if he wanted to protect anyone in the long run. 

Xingqiu had said it himself, Chongyun did a bad job at making his friends feel safe, so he might as well just keep on working until he can protect people, even if that means he has to cut off all connections to do so. Xiao did that, and he was one the best protector Liyue had, and who was Chongyun to question these methods now? 

Chapter Text

The night after Chongyun left Quingxu pool, leaving most of his friendships behind in the process, was a bit of a blur. After his argument with Xingqiu, it was apparent that his yang energy was on the cusp of taking over. The issue is, for the first time in years, the exorcist didn’t care about that. Not in the slightest even. He couldn't really bring himself to care much about anything at the time. 

The apparent memory loss that comes with his condition taking over left the memories of that night hazy in Chongyun’s mind. He knew he didn’t return home right away, but instead just summoned his claymore and looked for the first thing he could hit. That just so happened to be the treasure hoarders who tried to rob the exorcist as he walked. 

While he was against killing any other person, when Chongyun woke up in his room the next morning, injured, he was covered in blood that he was sure wasn’t all his own. It wasn’t an absurd amount of blood, but it was still enough to be at least mildly concerning. Enough to know that somebody got hurt. 

In a haze of tired confusion, Chongyun examined the injuries he had. He was happy to conclude they were nothing serious. He made the executive decision to take a cold bath to wake himself up a bit more, and to properly clean any wounds. Afterwards, he prepared a short meal to start off the morning. He ate, and got ready, although he wasn’t entirely sure what he was planning on doing that day. 

It took until Chongyun realized he was running low on popsicles, and nearly went to buy more at the Wanmin restaurant that he fully processed what had transpired the previous night. It was like he didn’t even notice the hypothetical weight on his shoulders until something reminded him that it was there. As the memories further played out in his mind, Chongyun had only one thought, and one thought alone. 

Well shit. 

For one, he couldn’t get his popsicles which would certainly be annoying. Not to mention literally everything else. Believe it or not, making the active decision to cut off all of his friendships was not something Chongyun had done before. “Guess I can’t visit the Wanmin restaurant,” he mumbled to himself. 

Afterwards, he let out a frustrated huff. Chongyun wasn’t sure what he was frustrated with in particular. Considering the options, it was probably everything that happened with Xingqiu that was bothering him the most. Chongyun couldn’t quite get what he said out of his head. 

The exorcist hated the fact that Xingqiu might have been right, that people really did prefer him when he lost control of his yang energy. Chongyun thought back to after he left Quingxu pool, and all the other times he'd lost control, or gotten close to losing control once again. Suddenly, that was a much more frightening thought. He had no real control over his actions when his positivity took over. That in of itself was ironic, but still. 

Chongyun didn’t want to hurt people, and when he wasn't himself, he very well could. Yet Xingqiu said he was better that way. 

Trying not to think about it much longer, Chongyun took a deep breath. His mix of emotions seemed to all be tying back into an underlying anger, so the best thing he could do was stay calm. The last thing he wanted was to somehow make things worse than they already were. 

Now, he had to focus on the problem at hand: getting more popsicles. 

Wanmin restaurant was out of the question, as there was a good chance Xiangling was going to be there. Not only was Chongyun trying to avoid his friends, but he wanted to avoid the fall out of last night. If that made him a coward, so be it. Hurting the people he cared about a little bit more in the meantime by avoiding them would be for the better once they moved on. Chongyun was just sure of it. 

Anyways, Chongyun had a general grasp as to what the recipe for the frozen treats was thanks to the help of the traveler that one time, so he could very well make them on his own. That in mind, the exorcist began searching his kitchen for the ingredients. The water was the easy part, he just needed to know if he had any Mist Flower Corolla’s on hand. Collecting them on his own would be a pain. 

Usually, if Chongyun needed to collect the flowers, he would elicit the help of Xiangling, Hu Tao, or Xinyan. The exorcist didn’t know of anyone in Liyue who sold the materials, so if all ese failed, maybe he could put up a commission for the adventurers guild. 

Chongyun sighed with relief when he found a jar filled with the Mist Flower Corolla’s in his kitchen. 

As the exorcist prepared the ingredients to be mixed with the water, he couldn’t help but think back to the methods Xiangling had taught him. He also thought of the way Xingqiu constantly suggested adding different ingredients to the popsicles that totally weren’t spicy. Not at all. 

Chongyun was finding it significantly more difficult to not think of his friends then he would have liked. He felt bad, but he desperately just wanted to go back to that tunnel vision on training that he had before. It was easier that way. Then he wouldn’t have to think about his friends, and how he hurt them, and how they probably all wished he could be someone he wasn’t, and how horrible of a friend Xingqiu was, and how much he never wanted to talk to any of the people he cared about again, and how much he wished that last statement was true. 

Suddenly Chongyun was pulled out of his thoughts by a jolt of pain in his hands. He pulled then towards his chest of reaction. Refocusing, the exorcist realized that while he was done making the popsicles, he might have over done it a bit. He had used cryo to freeze the water that was poured into the mold, and while that was done successfully, something still went wrong. 

Chongyun took a moment to further investigate his hands. They were both very pink, very cold and shivering. “What the?” the exorcist questioned no one at all. 

As he further examined his hands and thought over the situation, Chongyun couldn’t find much of a logical answer. Perhaps he got so used to freezing over that damned tree branch that he used too much power to freeze the water. With nothing else for the element to be conducted into, the cryo just stayed in his hands. That made sense considering he wasn’t paying too much attention to what he was doing. 

Another, much smaller part of Chongyun told him it was a result of trying to ignore his own anger. This was a notion the exorcist promptly ignored without a second thought. Not wanting to delve into things further, the exorcist took a breath, and went to find a candle and some matches so he could warm his hands. 

After a short time, Chongyun managed to finish making his popsicles without freezing his arm off, and promptly ate one as soon as he could in order to calm his nerves. Afterwards, Chongyun wasn’t really sure what to do. His first thought was to go train on his own for a bit, but then another thought crossed Chongyun’s mind. 

Counting what he had left of the day, he still had about two and a half until he was supposed to meet Xiao at the Wangshu Inn. He would have to leave some time tomorrow if he wanted to get a night's rest at the Inn before meeting Xiao the next evening. Then again, Chongyun considered the option of just leaving right then. It’s not like he had anything to do in the harbor. There was always something to do to pass the time at Wangshu Inn anyways. 

So, Chongyun quickly packed his things, and set off to the Inn once again. 

The trip was nothing new this time around, and Chongyun managed to arrive shortly after sunset which was always a good thing. Tevat wasn’t particularly well known for being safe, especially at night when treasure hoarders, Fatui, and even some mounters were most active. 

Tried from his journey, Chongyun just wanted to purchase a room and get some sleep. He took the elevator up, and approached the front desk. He was met with the sight of the woman he still couldn’t quite remember the name of wo ran the Inn. “Hello,” Chongyun greeted politely as possible.

“Welcome back to the Wangshu Inn, Chongyun. Just a single bed as usual I assume?” And still, she seemed to remember Chongyun’s name. She smiled, but it seemed different than her usual practiced customer service one. This was something more genuine, and perhaps even knowing. This only worked to unsettle the exorcist because he couldn’t shake the thought that she knew something he didn’t. 

“Yes, miss,” Chongyun answered, all too formally. 

The woman huffed out something close to a laugh. “You can just call me Verr, and a room is already ready for you.” She -Verr, Chongyun reminded himself- opened a drawer and pulled out a room key before handing it to the exorcist. “I hope you enjoy your stay. Would you like any food delivered to your room this evening?” 

Chongyun thought for a moment, “I’ll just get a serving of the almond tofu, served cold if possible.” The first time he tried the dish, it really was quite good. 

Then, Verr chuckled and muttered something Chongyun couldn’t quite decipher. Soon enough, she returned to her usual professional self, “That’ll be right out for you. Have a great night, and if you need anything, just let us know.” 

“Thank you,” and with that, the exorcist payed his due, and went to the room that matched the number of his key.

This short trip did not go uninterrupted however, because as Chongyun was reading the key in his hands, he had the misfortune of bumping into someone. Shortly after contact, the exorcist heard something hit the floor behind him. It didn’t sound loud enough to be a person, luckily. 

“My apologies,” Chongyun spoke as he turned around to face whoever he bumped into. 

The stranger in question was adorned in a light green cape, with a matching hat. As Chongyun got a better look at this person's face, he couldn’t shake the fact that he looked familiar. Not in a ‘have we met before?’ sort of way. Still, the familiarity was there, like something you read about in an old book. The oddest part was that the stranger seemed to have a similar reaction towards Chongyun. 

 “It’s no problem, although I can’t say the same for my apple,” the stranger said in a sing-songy voice. 

So that’s what hit the floor, Chongyun noted as he looked at the red fruit a few feet away. It was a sad sight to see: such a fine apple tainted by the ground. “Oh, would you like me to purchase another for you?” The exorcist had learned from experience that should he do a stranger wrong by mistake, it was best to atone for his actions as soon as possible. One could never know what kind of grudges someone could hold. 

The stranger laughed, “I can survive without my snack, no need to pay me back.” 

Chongyun blinked. It wasn’t every day he heard someone so deliberately rhyme in casual conversation, if this brief interaction could even count as such a thing. “I understand, have a pleasant evening,” Chongyun offered. 

“May your night be pleasant as well, so for now I shall say farewell,” and with that, the stranger walked off. Chongyun discerned that he was going up to the second floor balcony. The only other person he’d ever seen up there was Xiao. It was odd, but Chongyun didn’t pay it any further thought. 

The exorcist soon enough arrived in his room. He hardly had enough time to put his items down before there was a light knock on his door followed by a quiet voice saying, “Room service.” This was followed by the sound of something being placed on the floor, and departing footsteps. 

Chongyun paced over to open the door and receive his meal of almond tofu. He ate the meal, and it suddenly felt very reminiscent of the first night he met Xiao. That fateful evening felt like so long ago. A big part of Chongyun didn’t think his outlandish plan of getting the one and only Vigilant Yaksha to train him would work. Then he would have just looked like an idiot sitting alone on a cool night with an untouched bowl of almond tofu in front of him. 

Xiao was everything Chongyun expected him to be, but also not in the slightest. It was hard to explain, but the exorcist was glad that Xiao had heard him out. Then he thought back to all the issues that had arisen out of his apprenticeship. It all came down to the answer of that question in the end. 

Chongyun didn’t regret getting Xiao to teach him at all. 

Eventually, he fell asleep in the Inn room. There was a gentle breeze that whistled a distant melody that seemed too uncanny to be anything but a trick of the mind. Even still, Chongyun was not opposed. 

The exorcist woke up bright and early the next morning. It felt nice to finally have a good night of rest that wasn’t elicited by passing out from exhaustion. Not to mention, the beds at the Inn were surprisingly comfortable. Chongyun pushed himself to sit up and stretched with a yawn. Soon after, he was getting ready for the day. 

Eventually, he started making his way downstairs to order some breakfast. The Inn was no more busy than usual, perhaps even less so. Chongyun figured that a good way to pass the time would be to ask around for any commissions he could do. It hadn’t been an issue so far, but now that Chongyun wasn’t working anymore, he didn’t have any way to earn mora. Earning a little extra by doing jobs for people would at least make up for what he spent on the Inn room. 

That aside, once Chongyun arrived at the seating area down stairs, he couldn’t help but notice the music that was being played. Upon further investigation, the source of the music appeared to be the same stranger who Chongyun had run into last night. 

He was sitting on top of one of the tables, a lyre in hand. Next to him, his hat was sat turned upside down, presumably for people to leave tips. This wouldn’t have been an issue for Chongyun. In fact, the music was quite pleasant. Bards played at the Inn often, but very rarely were they as skilled as the one before him. The issue was that there was only one table that didn’t already have people eating at it, and that was the one the stranger was sitting upon. 

Chongyun took a deep breath, and walked over to the table. He could handle a simple conversation with this person once again. He'd fought giant monsters for archons sake. “Um, hello. Do you mind if I sit here?” he managed. 

The stranger didn’t stop playing as he replied, “Not at all.” 

So, Chongyun sat down. But then the person didn’t leave and just continued to play his lyre. Not wanting to start any unnecessary conflict, Chongyun accepted this. He was never a person that was quick to anger anyways. Speaking of anger, he couldn’t shake the feeling. It just kind of sat lingering in the back of his mind, making everything a bit more unpleasant than usual. 

Another person walked by the table and dropped a few mora into the stranger's hat. Then the stranger promptly stopped playing his lyre, and went to look at the money he had obtained. With a satisfied smile, he cast away his lyre, got off the table, then walked a few steps to sit in the chair across from Chongyun. 

“So, we meet again,” he started, voice cheerful.

Chongyun wasn’t sure how to process this. “Uh, yes. Yes we do meet again.” 

“Ehe, well it’s a pleasure. Considering we’re going to share a meal together, it’s best we get to know each other. I’m Venti the traveling bard, but I come from Mondstadt” he said as he emptied the mora from his hat onto the table, and placed the accessory back on his head. 

“We’re what?” Chongyun tried asking, but then he was interrupted by an employee approaching the table. 

“Good morning you too, are you ready to order?” She asked, pleasantly.  

Venti replied first. “Could I get two eggs, sunny side up and an apple if possible?” 

“Of course, and you?” The employee turned to Chongyun. 

He was still trying to process what was happening. It wasn’t every day you were accompanied by a random stranger for breakfast, much less one who seemingly just earned the money to actually buy food. “I- I’ll just have a salad.” 

“Of course, your food will be right out for you,” then the employee promptly walked off. 

Then, Venti turned back to Chongyun. “So, could I have the pleasure of knowing your name?” 

“Oh right. My name is Chongyun, I’m an exorcist from Liyue Harbor,” he introduced himself, still about eight steps behind in this interaction. 

Venti then seemed to be brought to where Chongyun was based on his expression. There were many emotions that played across his face in a short time. It was like he had several realizations that only brought more forth questions. All of that was followed by a short laugh. “Hmm, say, what brings you out here on this fine day?” 

There he was rhyming again. Briefly, Chongyun wondered if this was a thing with most bards, or if it was just Venti. He then had to suddenly think of how to answer the question. “Oh. I.. I’m here to meet with someone,” was what he settled on. 

That seemed to be all the confirmation Venti needed. His grin then returned even wider than before without a hitch. “A friend, I presume?” The bard further inquired. 

That made Chongyun think for a moment. He wouldn’t exactly consider Xiao a friend. While the two had certainly grown closer, calling the adeptus his friend didn’t feel right. “You could say that, more of a teacher really.” 

Vaguely, Chongyun realized that perhaps he shouldn't be telling Venti these things considering he was still a complete stranger. Despite this, he still indulged the bard for whatever reason. He knew how to defend himself if need be, or at the very least run away. 

“So an apprentice is what you are. Can I ask what you’ve learned so far?” Venti rhymed once more.  

As the bard continued to ask questions, Chongyun couldn’t help but think he had some ulterior motive. He didn’t seem to have malicious intent, but Chongyun had never been the best at reading people. 

“Most of my training has been in combat strategies; learning to use the resources available to me rather than just a weapon,”  Chongyun answered. 

“Is there anything you want to learn?” This time, Venti sounded far more genuine than he did before. Like this was the question he really wanted an answer to. 

“Can I ask why you’re curious?” Chongyun finally decided it was time he learned a bit about this odd bard. 

Venti blinked, like he wasn’t expecting Chongyun to ask any questions himself. With a huff, Venti continued to smile, but it was different than before. “I won’t fool you with games of pretend. The truth is, we have a mutual friend. Or, not a friend according to you, but you know someone that I know too.” 

Chongyun tilted his head in confusion, but then Venti’s words set it. “You’re quite sure we’re talking about the same person?” He asked, disbelieving. 

Venti lowered his voice and moved in closer to Chongyun as if to tell a secret. “The Vigilant Yaksha is quite hard to mistake for anybody else.” 

Chongyun’s eyes widened. “I- um,” he didn’t know what to say. Briefly, the exorcist realized that he never considered Xiao to be the type to have friends. Much less human friends. Then Chongyun realized that Venti might not be human, and that was a whole other thing to unpack at a later time. 

“Really?” Was all the exorcist managed. 

“Ehe, why would I lie?” 

Honestly, Chongyun couldn’t really think of an answer to that. Maybe it was because he made Venti drop his apple yesterday. Speaking of apples, the waiter who had taken their orders before was walking towards their table with a plate in each hand.

“Here are your meals, is there anything else that you need?” She queried. 

“No thank you,” Chongyun rushed out on reaction. 

“I’m fine as well,” Venti spoke with a short wave of his hand. 

When the waiter left, the pair were left in an awkward silence and Venti started to eat. Chongyun took a look at the bard’s plate, and made a move to change the subject. “Are apples even on the menu?” 

“Nope, but you ask for them enough and eventually they’ll make an exception.” His tone was mischievous. 

Chongyun took a good look at his salad before picking up his chopsticks to start eating. He hardly got a bite in before Venti shocked him once again, and not in quite the same way as before. The bard summoned a bottle of wine, popped off the cork, and started drinking right from the bottle. Noticing Chongyun's gaze on him, Venti gestured the bottle towards the exorcist, “Would you like some?” 

“No?” The question wasn’t whether or not Chongyun knew he wanted to take a drink, but something born of confusion. He was still too young to drink, and Venti at least appeared to be. Perhaps it was a cultural difference between Mondstadt and Liyue, or maybe it was just another Venti thing. 

“Suit yourself,” Venti then took another swig with a grin. 

The rest of the meal was fairly silent between the odd pair. Venti drank his wine and ate his eggs with his apple, while Chongyun ate his salad. Surprisingly, the silence was at least mildly comfortable. The same mild comfortable that Chongyun felt around Xiao. The Adeptus and Venti seemed so different based on this impression, and Chongyun wondered how to two had ever become friends in the first place. 

After the waiter took their emptied plates, Venti finally said something. “You know, he cares about you.” 

“What?” 

Venti chuckled once again. “He’s bad at showing it, and he might be hard on you, but he cares. Trust me, he wouldn’t just take the time to train any human, Chongyun” 

Once again, Chongyun didn’t know what to say.

The next two days were rather uneventful as far as Chongyun was concerned. He did manage to take a couple commissions. Mostly just fighting monsters around the Inn. Venti had popped up once or twice, but the exorcist had to clue what he was up to. 

Night had fallen several hours ago, and Chongyun already had the almond tofu ordered and ready to give to Xiao. He didn’t even know if he needed it this time around, but it was better safe than sorry. 

Making his way to the second floor balcony, and placing the tofu on a table for Xiao, the exorcist was hit with some major deja vu. He’d done this all before, but things had changed so much since then. The feelings from everything mixed into an odd melancholy Chongyun couldn’t quite shake. The only emotion that had been a constant recently was that little bit of anger in the back of his mind. 

He had to actively work to keep himself grounded, but this wasn't something new. 

Chongyun didn’t sit down at the table this this time around, but rather walked towards the edge of the balcony and looked at the view. It was the same as last time, but no less beautiful. The stars shone more brightly near the Wangshu Inn due to the limited light pollution. It was nice, and Chongyun couldn’t help but notice a slight breeze that cut through the evening air. 

“So you came,” Xiao’s voice echoed through the quiet night. He was now sitting on the railing, looking at Chongyun. “Good, because we have a lot to do.” 

Chapter Text

Chongyun didn’t have much of a reaction to his teacher's sudden presence. Believe it or not, he’d gotten used to Xiao’s little habit of teleportation. He did, however, take notice of the fact that Xiao was not wearing his mask. The gesture wasn't anything monumental, but it was at least noteworthy. 

 “Did you… Did you have a good time during your break?” Xiao asked, hesitantly. He didn’t seem shy, but perhaps unsure of himself. Like he was told to ask this by someone else, but didn’t really know how. 

This thoroughly confused Chongyun. Never once did he think the word ‘unsure’ would be used to describe Xiao. 

“It was fine,” the exorcist answered without putting much thought into it. He didn’t particularly want to think about what happened during his time off of training. In fact, Chongyun was quite relieved it was starting again. Not thinking of his past friends was difficult without something else to focus on. If he could just put all of his time and energy into getting stronger with the help of Xiao, he could forget the people he cared about, just as he hoped they would do towards him. 

The whole situation was frustrating, but Chongyun knew he needed to move on as soon as possible. He took a deep breath in an attempt to quell any unwanted thoughts. 

Xiao hummed with an unpeaceable emotion. Looking out towards the scenery before him, he continued. “I take it you’re well rested enough to continue training.” 

It wasn’t a question, but almost more of a demand. Only Xiao could demand someone to be rested with such nonchalant phrasing, but Chongyun knew what he meant. The training itself would surely demand more effort then Xiao could phrase so simply. Being tired wasn’t an option from that point on. 

“Yes, and I am ready for whatever task you have in store for me,” Chongyun put as seriously as he could. He hardly felt like he worked hard enough to complete the task given last time around. As things continued, it was his chance to really prove himself to be a worthy apprentice to Xiao, not just someone he took under his wing out of pity. 

With a huff of acknowledgement, Xiao turned where he was sitting, and hopped off of the railing onto the solid floor of the balcony. He took a few quick and quiet strides to collect the almond tofu Chongyun had brought for him. As Xiao ate, Chongyun turned towards him and stood at attention, awaiting any instruction about whatever was planned next. 

After a few silent minutes of Xiao eating, he finally noticed his student. The adeptus glanced around before looking at Chongyun once again. “You can relax, human,” he instructed, calmly. 

“Oh, uh,” the exorcist wasn’t really sure what else to do other than await Xiao’s instruction. Before, the pair had fallen into a routine that made training easy. At the end of the day though, Chongyun still had no idea how to act around Xiao. They usually just walked in silence, and when they did talk, it was brief, or when Chongyun was injured and Xiao had to patch him up. 

“Pardon me for asking, Xiao, but how exactly are you going to continue my training?” 

Setting down his already finished bowl of almond tofu on the table, Xiao looked Chongyun in the eye. As usual, even with his mask off, Xiao’s expression was unreadable. The adeptus took a short breath, “What are you bad at?” 

Chongyun just stated in confusion while Xiao cursed himself and every other deity in existence for his horrible phrasing of the question. It was too late to go back at that point anyways, so the pair just stood in silence. 

“What?” Was all Chongyun had to say. 

“In combat,” Xiao clarified, not really clarifying anything at all. 

Chongyun’s blatant confusion morphed into something else, something he couldn’t quite place. Trying to ponder this further proved in no concrete answer. The exorcist knew he could still improve on all fronts. If you can still get better, you need to try harder. But, did not good enough count as ‘bad’? That was the question. 

Knowing that he couldn’t answer, ‘everything,’ Chongyun thought more. The more the thought, the more frustrated with himself he seemed to get. How many shortcomings did he have to account for with just a simple answer? And how much would this simple answer impact his training in the future? There were questions that would never be asked. 

“I- I don’t know, a lot?” Chongyun said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

With a hum, Xiao took a few steps closer to his student. “This information is imperative to continue, so do you have a real answer or not?” 

Wracking his brain for something, Chongyun still fell short. “No,” he answered. 

“Fine then,” Xiao took another few steps until he was close enough to grab Chongyun’s wrist. 

Before another word could get in, a gust of wind rushed past both Chongyun and Xiao. In an instant, they were no longer at the Wangshu Inn, but rather a place the exorcist didn’t recognize. Glimpses of dark particles vanished without a trace, and Xiao let go of his students wrist, and took a few steps back. 

“If you can not think of anything you lack on the battlefield, we must figure it out,” Xiao’s words seemed rational, but Chongyun couldn’t help but feel like whatever was about to transpire would be very far from such a thing. He still had no idea where he was, and turns out, first time teleportation is very disorienting. 

Looking around a bit more tentatively, he wasn’t even sure if they were in Liyue anymore. There were ruins all around, and towering cliffs surrounding the whole area. In the middle, a large tower enveloped in an uncanny storm stood. “Can I ask what that entails?” Chongyun questioned. 

Summoning his spear, Xiao said a few simple words. “Try to hit me.” 

“Pardon?” Chongyun wasn’t quite sure he heard that right. 

“Try to hit me,” Xiao repeated. “Use whatever means necessary: your claymore, those ice swords you summon, even a simple tap of your finger will do. It does not matter to me how you go about things, but we will not be leaving this place until you can complete the task.' 

Really giving things a think over, Chongyun still couldn't believe it. “Will all due respect Xiao, I don’t believe such a thing will be possible. I mean, you can teleport. How am I supposed to even get close to you?” 

If Chongyun didn’t know any better, he would have sworn Xiao chuckled. “Fine then, I will take it easy on you, human-” 

“I digress,” the younger interrupted. “Um, don’t… I apologize, I will put in my full effort if you put in yours. However, aren’t you concerned over the fact that I could potentially injure you?” In all reality, the exorcist couldn’t stand the idea of Xiao barely trying in this outlandish trial, but the the adeptus had to have at least some self preservation in mind, regardless of the effort he was willing to put in. 

By going through with this, both Xiao and Chongyun could see what the latter needed to improve upon, but full effort from both parties could be risky.  Even still, Chongyun didn’t want to be seen as any weaker in the eyes of the Adeptus than he already did. 

Xiao huffed, “If by some chance you are able to injure me, I have a friend who can intervene.”

He wasn’t quite sure why, but Chongyun had a sinking suspicion he knew who that friend was. Venti did say he was from Mondstadt after all, and based on the terrain, that seemed to be where they were. That was unless Xiao had other friends by chance, he wasn’t exactly the easiest person to get along with though. 

The exorcist remained silent, awaiting further instruction. 

“Alright  human, then we shall begin,” surprisingly enough, as Xiao said those words, he didn’t adhere his mask to his face, but rather just stood there. His polearm was still sitting firmly in his  hands, but that was about it. 

Is he waiting for me to do something? Chongyun pondered. 

Not sure what else to do, the exorcist summoned his claymore, and looked at Xiao as if to receive permission. With no such response from his teacher, he figured he might as well just go for it. It’s not like there was much of an option anyways. So, with a huff, Chongyun began walking towards Xiao, a relaxed, yet still practiced grip on the weapon in his hands. 

Blink and you would have missed it, but suddenly with a gust of wind Xiao was no longer in Chongyun’s path. “You are going to need to put in significantly more effort if you ever wish to get a hit on me,” Xiao’s voice came from his right. Turning towards the noise revealed the adeptus to be standing several feet away. 

It was going to be a long night. 

Chongyun had been chasing after Xiao for two hours. Well, that was more of a rough estimate. He didn’t have time to be exact, not when Xiao was dashing away yet again. 

At first, the exorcist figured that just keeping up with Xiao for long enough would work. The adeptus was certainly using more energy than Chongyun, what with the constant use of his vision to move around. All the younger would have to do was keep up, and make a quick strike when Xiao started to slow down. Sure, the adeptus could move fast, but not forever. 

Chongyun was starting to deeply question those words. 

Xiao had not slowed down once, in fact, his ability to get away seemed to improve as time went on. Chongyun on the other hand was beginning to feel exhaustion take over his body. He was currently sprinting in the direction his teacher had dashed with all the force he had left. The crisp evening air burned his lungs, and his limbs felt like they were on fire. If anything, Chongyun’s yang energy was going to hinder his ability to catch Xiao before anything else. Perhaps it already had. 

It seemed that every time the exorcist got close, Xiao just moved a few feet forwards, and waited for Chongyun to catch up. 

As he got closer once again, Chongyun prepared to give his claymore a hearty swing. His will to keep calm had given out about twenty minutes ago, and he was acting more irrationally than he would have liked. Less calculated moves were far easier to dodge was a lesson Chongyun would soon learn. 

As he lunged forwards, using the weight on his claymore to swing himself further forwards with the hit, Xiao simply took a few steps to the left. This left Chongyun falling to the ground face first as his teacher simply watched. “You might want to not do that,” he commented. 

Chongyun pushed himself up from the floor and turned to look at Xiao, clear annoyance written on his face. In any other circumstance, he would have never even thought to act in such a manner towards the adeptus. At this point however, he was just too frustrated to care. It seemed that along with the anger brought forth by this ridiculous task, the feelings Chongyun had been working to avoid over the past few were coming up as well. 

Then, before Chongyun could do anything else, Xiao vanished from sight with a short burst of anemo that dissipated in an instant. 

“For fucks sake,” the exorcist mumbled as he sat up properly. He figured that if Xiao were a long way away, he could take a short rest. It’s not like Chongyun knew where his teacher was now, but hopefully it wasn’t somewhere ridiculously hard to reach. Giving Xiao a chance to rest as well didn’t seem like it would change anything anyways. 

After a long moment of just sitting in the tall grass under the starlit sky, Chongyun grabbed his claymore and planted it in the ground to assist him in standing up. As he stood, he suddenly realized how hard it still was to breathe, despite having just taken a moment to catch his breath. Just trying to take deep breaths, Chongyun spotted an empty hillychurl camp and promptly started to walk towards it. 

He just needed to rest for a bit longer before he could get Xiao, that was all. 

Plopping on the ground near the unlit fire of the camp, Chongyun just continued to breathe. He was hardly aware of how much his yang energy had been controlling him over the course of the night. He was acting on pure impulse, just swinging around a sword and chasing after Xiao aimlessly. 

If he could just get a grip on his simultaneous self-loathing and spite towards the world and calm down. The issue is, as Chongyun sat there, he no longer had the task of chasing around an adeptus to distract himself. It was like everything that had been building recently was fighting to take over every bit of his consciousness. 

If Xiao gave Chongyun this task, he obviously thought it would be possible, and it seemed the latter couldn’t quite meet these expectations. Always just a few steps short of what he could be, and the exorcist was quite certain that meant Xiao could be nothing but disappointed in him. Disappointed, just like Chongyun’s parents. 

He curled in on himself further, burying his head in his arms. 

If he had seen any potential in his student, that was sure to be gone. Then, Xiao would abandon Chongyun and all of the effort from both parties would go to waste just because the younger couldn’t try hard enough. Chongyun really couldn’t help but feel like that was all that he was at the end of the day: a waste of time. Xingqiu certainly seemed to agree, and probably all of his other friends too. 

Chongyun was better alone, yet the one person who seemed to actually help him improve in his abilities was going to leave him behind because he could just never be good enough. 

When Chongyun was shaking, and struggling to hold back tears, he suddenly came to the realization that this was not the right place to be having a breakdown. “Just calm down,” he whispered to himself, voice shaky. 

With every bit of will power he had, Chongyun managed to pull himself out of his self-deprecating thoughts. He didn’t even realize how zoned out he had been. The bits of his conscience that had been fuzzy slowly returned to their normal state as he fought to just take deep breaths. It was time for this still seemingly impossible training exercise, Chongyun could deal with his emotions later. 

Even still, how long could he put off feeling anything until it became too much? That was not a reality Chongyun wished to acknowledge in any capacity. 

He loosened the iron grip he didn’t even realize he had on the sleeves of his overshirt. Stretching out his limbs from where he was still sitting on the ground, Chongyun looked up at the night sky. He had already lost so many people because he wasn’t good enough, but Xiao was still around somewhere in the midst of the ruins.

There was still more he could do. 

If this was supposed to be a trial to figure out what Chongyun was bad at, then he should do what he was good at. A strategy would be necessary, and the exorcist already had an idea as he recalled a small body of water nearby. He wondered if there were more scattered around in the ruins. He could work with this, and devising some over elaborate plan would be a lovely distraction from any unwanted thoughts. 

From a distance, where Xiao was sitting atop a platform, he watched as his apprentice stood and started walking towards the small lake, carefully examining his the surrounding terrain as he did so. The adeptus had witnessed Chongyun’s near breakdown, and it would be a lie not to admit that Xiao was about two seconds away from asking the younger who or what had hurt him. 

Still, he remained where he was. If Chongyun wanted to keep Xiao out of his personal matters, that was his choice and it would be respected. The adeptus wasn’t all too good at dealing with such things anyways. But, if it came down to it, Xiao would not hesitate to step in and protect his student, from whatever might try to harm him. 

After another long while, Chongyun finally managed to track down Xiao. It’s not as if he’d been looking for the other the entire time, he had been working out the details of his plan. It was only when Chongyun was sure of what he had to do that he finally went searching for Xiao. The challenge was to hit, not track him down, so the search didn’t take long. 

The terrain might have been uneven and chaotic, but Xiao wasn’t exactly hard to recognize. 

Once Chongyun spotted the man in question standing on a path next to that looked to be a defeated ruin guard. Ignoring that fact, he worked to be sure he wouldn’t be spotted right away. There was a half decent chance Xiao had some miraculous sixth sense that allowed him to detect Chongyun’s presence already, but the exorcist could always hope against it. 

Making a haphazard attempt to hide behind some bushes, he waited. 

Based on what Chongyun had seen in his futile attempts to attack Xiao earlier, he had a couple theories about how the others' abilities worked. It was a long shot, but he kept his observations in mind as he prepared to engage. If he was wrong, it’s not like he didn’t have much else to do in the meantime. He would have to devise a new plan.  

Xiao had said earlier that Chongyun could use his spirit blades if he so wished, and that’s just what he was prepared to do. Muttering a few mantras that were all but permanently ingrained into his head, Chongyun created and cast the object directly towards Xiao. 

It hit the ground with a thud, disappearing shortly after. Along with that, there was no Xiao to be seen. 

“I was beginning to believe you’d given up,” Xiao’s unmistakable voice spoke from behind him. 

This wasn’t the most expected outcome, but it was one Chongyun could most certainly work with. 

Before Xiao could do anything else, the exorcist summoned another spirit blade and turned around to face the adeptus as he cast it down. In the instant before Xiao dashed out of the way, Chongyun swore he saw his eyes widen in shock. The adeptus had already been standing near the edge of some water, and in his limited reaction time, he wasn’t able to get far. 

Xiao was just barely able to teleport to the island in the middle of the small lake. In fact, he was still ankle deep in the water, getting his boots wet in the process. Taking a few steps back to get on dry ground, Xiao’s expression changed. It was more serious, but not quite angry. 

“As I said the first time we met Xiao, you underestimate the effort I am willing to put in,” Chongyun said as he prepared to make his next move. 

Every task Xiao gave him was just another chance for Chongyun to prove himself, and he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. If he wanted to ensure Xiao wouldn’t give up on him, Chongyun just had to put in more effort. 

So, summoning his claymore and slamming it onto the water in one swift motion, Chongyun allowed the cryo he’d channeled into the attack to freeze over the water. Xiao reoriented himself enough to dash away to the other end of the island, and as the exorcist crossed the water and made it there, Xiao was on the other side of the small lake. 

Kneeling to freeze over the water so he could catch up, Chongyun made sure to dip one of his hands into the water. There was a technique he used during his fight with the Geovishap that he was fairly certain Xiao hadn’t seen him use before, so Chongyun wanted to use that to his advantage. 

With the water now frozen over, Chongyun made quick work to cross it. As he got closer, Xiao dashed away, and in that split second where he wasn’t touching the ground, Chongyun used the moisture on his hand to cover the solid ground in a thin layer of ice. When Xiao stopped, the moisture on his shoes stuck them to the frost covered floor. 

As the adeptus was processing this information, Chongyun used the frost slicked ground to his advantage. With years of practice, he learned how to run across ice quickly. Like ice skating, without the skates. With this tactic on his side, Chongyun was able to get close enough to nearly hit Xiao with his claymore. 

Xiao only just managed to dash towards the left and evade the attack. That was fine, however. All a part of Chongyun’s plan. 

Continuing to push Xiao in the direction he wanted, similar to the way Chongyun was aimlessly chasing him before, only now he had an aim. The pair ended up on a disheveled path with a steep hill. Xiao was already at the bottom of it, large canyon walls surrounding him on either side. There was a tree behind him that sat on a rock, surrounded by water. 

Chongyun froze over the ground once again, and just slid down the hill to get to this area, 

Xiao prepared himself to teleport away, but Chongyun didn’t end up running straight towards him. Rather, the exorcist went a bit to his right and pulled something out of his pocket. The object in question was a Flaming Flower Stamen, and it was soon used to create an elemental reaction with the mist flower that was planted in the ground. 

All too fast, the air was filled with a mist that obstructed Xiao and Chongyun’s vision. Still, the latter summoned another spirit blade to attack Xiao. The adeptus avoided it, but Chongyun wasn’t concerned with that. He promptly slammed another one of the objects into the water behind Xiao. 

With all the additional moisture in the air, it made the use of Chongyun’s vision far easier. Still, he was starting to feel a whole new kind of exhaustion from the excessive use of it.

When Xiao tried to dash away once again he took a step back and managed to slip on the ice. Chongyun was a very short distance away, bringing his claymore up to hit the adeptus. In reaction, Xiao ended up teleporting near the base of the tree nearby. That was still close enough for Chongyun to hit with his weapon. 

So, the exorcist spun and brought his weapon to hit Xiao, but the hit was blocked by Xiao’s own polearm. The force of both of their weapons pushed against each other, and Chongyun knew there was a way he could use this to his advantage. 

He forced his body to the side, even taking his left hand off of the handle of the claymore. Chongyun began to fall over, with a shift in the counter weight. So, in a last ditch effort, he reached out his hand to try and smack Xiao. If it worked, it worked, right? 

Then, it did in fact, work. Chongyun’s hand ended up hitting Xiao’s arm and the exorcist continued to fall to the ground with a thud. 

For a while, he just kind of sat there, laying on the grassy floor. The adrenaline left his system, and he was suddenly exhausted. He hadn’t heard much movement from Xiao, but a little thought echoed in Chongyun’s mind instead: I did it . He needed to let himself catch up with all that just transpired before he could back in the euphoria of his success. 

After a long moment, some shuffling could be heard nearby. “Are you okay?” Xiao asked, his voice much closer than Chongyun expected. 

The younger looked up to see Xiao crouched next to him, an almost gentle neutrality written on his face. It was the same expression he wore whenever Chongyun got injured, and Xiao had to help. “Are you okay, human?” he asked once again.

“Yes, just,” Chongyun pushed himself up to sit against the tree trunk. “Just tired.” He would have put more effort into being professional if he could have. 

Xiao hummed and stood up and reached a hand out to his student like he always did. Chongyun graciously took it, and as soon as he stood up, he was back on the second floor balcony of the Wangshu Inn. Xiao let go of his hand and took a few steps back, just as he did earlier that night. 

“You’ve proven to me what you are capable of, and we can discuss how your training will continue in the morning. Go get some rest, human.” Xiao instructed, but it wasn’t demanding. 

With a few more words exchanged between the two, Chongyun went back to his room at the Inn to get some sleep. Xiao however, had no such time for rest. He had a bit more planning to do. 

Chapter Text

Despite being up late and exhausting himself chasing after Xiao, Chongyun woke up surprisingly early. The sun was only just rising as he was pushing himself out of bed. He would have opted to go back to bed to get more sleep, but that was easier said than done. Rather, Chongyun decided to go get some iced coffee to wake himself up. 

As he was getting ready for the day ahead, he was met with an odd feeling. It wasn’t fear or dread, but it wasn’t restless anticipation. It was something in between the two. A part of him was prepared to face endless scrutiny for his shortcomings during the training exercise of last night. Another part of him wasn’t sure he could handle any direct insult from Xiao. 

Things had been so consistent with the lessons so far. It was like an extended trial phase, but now it was the real thing. Recalling how difficult it was before, Chongyun was worried for his own well being, but he also knew pushing himself to the limit was the only way to truly become stronger. 

Still, he’d had enough near death experiences in the last month and a half to last him a lifetime. How much was he really willing to endure to improve? The better question was, how would Xiao react if Chongyun couldn’t bring himself to almost die again just to become stronger? 

Not wanting to put too much thought into it, the exorcist hurried and finished getting ready, then left his room at the Inn without a second thought. 

As Chongyun was passing through the lobby to get to the elevator, a voice stopped him in his tracks. “Chongyun, good morning.” Verr called from her usual position at the front desk. 

A bit startled, Chongyun turned to face her. “Good morning to you too,” he replied as casually as possible despite his confusion. 

“Are you going down stairs to get breakfast?” Verr asked politely. 

Chongyun took a few steps towards the front desk and replied, “Yes, why do you ask?” 

“Well, how about you go up to the second floor balcony to eat instead, you can just order here.” She answered, the typical customer service smile plastered on her face. Still, Chongyun was the slightest bit unsettled. 

The only reason he ever went to the second floor balcony was to meet with Xiao, and the fact that Verr was telling him to go up there felt off. Perhaps she knew Xiao as well and was just instigating the two to talk on request of the adeptus. It was unclear, but Chongyun figured he wouldn’t be put in mortal danger, so what harm was there in complying?

“Okay… Could I just get an iced coffee?” He requested. 

“Of course, that will be right out for you,” with that, Verr left her spot at the front desk to walk to the kitchen. Glancing over in the direction, Chongyun also recognised the figure of Wangshu Inn’s chef. Smiley Yanxiao, he recalled. 

Going up the stairs to the balcony, Chongyun was met with the sight on an empty table, and the same view as usual. Although, it did look a bit different in the mornings compared to in the dead of night. The soft colors of the sky brought forth by the rising sun illuminated scenery of Liyue quite nicely. Along with that, the slight fog that covered Dihua Marsh every night hadn’t quite dissipated, giving the area a more mystical appearance. 

After taking in the view for a short while, Verr did as promised and brought Chongyun his iced coffee. “Enjoy,” she said, a slight breeze tossing her hair for a moment, as she set the beverage on the table. 

“Thank you,” Chongyun smiled at Verr before she turned and walked back downstairs. 

As Chongyun turned to pick up his coffee and take a drink, Xiao was suddenly sitting across from him. Nearly jumping out of his seat due to the startle, Chongyun took a few breaths to calm himself. “G-good morning Xiao,” he greeted. 

Keeping his expression the same as it usually was, Xiao glanced at the coffee in front of his student. “You should eat,” he commented. 

“I suppose so,” but before Chongyun could say anything else, Xiao was gone again. After getting to teleport himself last night, the exorcist had no clue how Xiao could do it so frequently. Then again, he was in control of where he was going, and not just being brought along for a ride, so Chongyun supposed that would make things easier. 

Still, he didn’t really know what to make of Xiao’s sudden appearance and disappearance. Maybe someone else had called out his name, and he needed to take care of it, or perhaps is was a threat that needed to be taken care of. Chongyun knew Xiao had plenty of important things to do, so he wasn’t offended in the slightest if had to prioritize that. 

Xiao training him was practically charity work, and Chongyun knew that he likely wouldn’t have had this opportunity if Xiao didn’t feel the slightest bit bad for him. It was still kind of hard to ponder the thought that Chongyun, a random teen from Liyue Harbor, could be worth the time of an adeptus. 

These musings plagued the exorcist's mind as he began to drink his coffee. After a few minutes, and a puff of anemo, Xiao was sitting in front of Chongyun once again. “You’re back,” he said, stating the obvious. 

That’s when Xiao pushed a plate of almond tofu across the table to his student. “Eat,” he stated.

Chongyun was thoroughly confused by the gesture. “Oh um, thank you. But I’m not sure if I can ea-” 

“You get it served cold, correct?” Xiao questioned. 

Taking another look at the dish, Chongyun realized that it was in fact, not the usual warm almond tofu Xiao enjoyed, but rather the cold version Chongyun always ordered. “Yes, but I-” the exorcist was struggling to figure out how to say this without coming off as rude. “How did you know this?” 

He was still struggling to process the fact that Xiao had ordered food for him, let alone ordered the right food. 

Xiao’s eyebrows raised ever so slightly, as if he didn’t realize this would even be a concern his student had. “Verr,” he stated. “I was ordering for you, and she said you couldn’t eat hot food.” 

Chongyun blinked and looked from the dish before him, then back to Xiao. Even the concept of Xiao taking the time to get him breakfast, let alone get him the right meal, was weird. Not in a bad way, it just wasn’t what Chongyun would have expected.

Also, how well did Xiao know Verr for her to relay the knowledge of Chongyun’s food preferences to the adeptus. It seemed his suspicions about Verr and Xiao knowing each other were true. 

 “Oh, well thank you,” Chongyun said. That’s when he noticed that he didn’t have any utensils, but Xiao apparently had that in mind. He slid over a set of chopsticks without a word, and Chongyun took them cautiously. 

“Eat fast, human. Your training today will not be easy, and there’s no time to sit around,” Xiao instructed. 

There was a bit of irony in the fact that Chongyun was fully willing to skip breakfast to get to training faster, yet Xiao just gave him a meal without a moment's hesitation. Now, it was him telling the younger to eat fast when he made the whole process take longer. Neither wished to acknowledge this irony, because Chongyun was happy to eat, and Xiao wanted his student to take care if himself. With that statement, there was even more irony, but such things aren’t important for the time being. 

As per request, Chongyun finished his meal quickly, and downed all the coffee he had. 

“Let’s go,” Xiao said, not wasting any more time. He stood and took a few steps towards the edge of the balcony. 

Chongyun followed suit, and before he could say anything else, Xiao put a hand on his shoulder, and the pair was no longer at Wangshu Inn. Turns out, teleportation was no less disorienting the third time around. 

Chongyun wasn’t immediately familiar with the area, but he knew for sure that they were still in Liyue. There were towering pillars of rock standing a short ways away, and tall cliffs to either side of them. They were standing under a large tree, a segment of it being an unnatural blue. Based on what he’d seen on maps, Chongyun figured they were in Huaguang Stone Forest. 

It was a place he’d never been, as to get there easily, one would have to pass through Jueyun Karst, a land forbidden to mortals. That being said, Chongyun was still a bit uneasy in this area, as it was still taboo for most humans to venture there. 

“Xiao, are you sure I’m allowed to be here?" Chongyun questioned. 

The adeptus removed his hand from the younger’s shoulder and took a few steps forwards. “As long as you’re with me, you should be fine. If any of the other adepti sense your presence and want you gone, I’ll inform them that you have entered these lands with my permission,” Xiao assured.

Having the unfaltering protection of an adeptus was nearly unfathomable on its own, but having one who was willing to vouch for you even to other adepti was a whole new world of obscure. Chongyun wasn’t that important, and he still couldn’t be used to being treated as such. 

“Now, as for your training,” Xiao began once again. “You proved to me yesterday that you have gained better control of your vision and are capable of using it in a variety of different ways to your advantage. But, you still need to improve upon navigating through a battlefield as efficiently as possible. We’ll start with that.” 

This was not the sort of critique Chongyun expected, to say the least. What he did expect was to be scrutinized beyond belief for his inability to do just about everything, but it seemed Xiao had a much more coherent thought process. Or he’s lying, a little voice in the back of Chongyun’s mind oh so helpfully offered.  

“You see that gazebo up on the cliff?” Xiao asked, pointing to the structure, just barely visible. Chongyun answered with a nod. “For your warm up, climb up to it.” 

At this request, the exorcist felt dread pooling in the pit of his stomach. He knew he had the capability to climb up cliffs, but this was still quite the task. The real thing that worried Chongyun however was the fact that Xiao had called this a warm up. Still, he figured it best to comply. 

Chongyun had never been a stranger to pushing himself in the past, so what made that day any different? 

“I understand,” Chongyun said as confidently as he could. With a huff, Xiao disappeared leaving Chongyun to look up at the cliff he had to scale. 

Upon further inspection, and much to his relief, there appeared to be many ledges he could stop to rest on. It shouldn’t be too hard then, right? Once he was right in front of the towering rock face, Chongyun took a deep breath, and began climbing. 

By the time he got to the top of the cliff, Chongyun was all but dragging himself to the gazebo Xiao told him to reach. He would have been fine, he really would have if it weren’t for the weather. It seemed to get alarmingly hotter a lot faster as the exorcist was climbing up. That being said, Chongyun had to put half his energy into keeping that under wraps, making the climb that much more exhausting. 

However, he did as Xiao asked, but the adeptus in question was nowhere to be seen. This suddenly made Chongyun a lot more nervous, because as per Xiao’s words ‘As long as you’re with me, you should be fine.’ Still, it’s not like there was much he could do about it. 

Xiao had said that if he ever needed him, all Chongyun had to do was call out his name, but this didn’t seem like dire enough of a situation just yet. Rather, the exorcist decided to just take a seat and enjoy whatever time to rest he could get before training continued. 

He summoned a popsicle and, as always, just focused on his breathing. It hadn’t failed him yet, so he might as well keep doing it. The beautiful scenery was almost enough to make Chongyun forget that was wasn’t supposed to bear witness to it. 

After a few minutes, Xiao appeared before Chongyun. His poorly disguised heavy breaths were a clear indicator that he’d been off, probably fighting something. Still, it appeared that Xiao was trying his best to look like he usually did. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked at Chongyun in a way the exorcist couldn’t place. 

“Hello again, Xiao,” Chongyun greeted, as he stood up having already finished his popsicle. 

“Human,” Xiao returned simply, as if nothing odd was going on. “I see you finished your warm up.” With that, he walked towards Chongyun, and grabbed his wrist before teleporting the two away once again. 

This time, they were in a cave, but from the exit, Chongyun could see that they were still in Huaguang Stone Forest. Water was covering a portion of the cave floor, which led into the lake the large stone pillars of the area were sprouting from. 

“You can freeze water so that you can walk on it,” Xiao stated as he let go of Chongyun’s wrist. It felt like he was in some kind of a rush. Then again, Xiao always seemed fond of efficiency. That was how Chongyun rationalized things at least.  “Follow me across the lake, and stay over the water. If you fall in, we’ll restart.” 

“Pardon?” 

Turning to Chongyun and crossing his arms over his chest, Xiao simply looked at him completely deadpan, and somehow intimidating. It still baffled Chongyun that Xiao could seem so threatening despite his appearance, even if you didn’t know the horrors he was capable of. 

But still, Chongyun didn’t quite process the words. The orders were clear, no doubt about it, he just needed a moment to really take them in. The more Chongyun thought about it, the more he realized how incredibly unconventional Xiao’s way of teaching was. It has, however, been effective so far. 

“I take it this is within your area of capability,” Xiao offered, noticing his student's clear hesitation. 

The younger nodded and took a breath. He once again reminded himself that he’d killed a giant monster before, this should be a piece of cake. Still, he was unsure of himself. It took enough effort as it was to make sure the ice was thick enough to support his weight, let alone keeping water frozen consistently. Still, it didn’t seem impossible, so Chongyun might as well try. 

Almost a bit cautiously, Xiao finished. “We’ll begin then.” 

Xiao then vanished once again, but as Chongyun looked outside of the cave, he could clearly see Xiao standing at the base of a stone pillar. Chongyun didn’t see much of a way to strategize in this situation. He could always just freeze the water as far as he could, and just run. But, he knew there had to be a less risky way to get across. 

If he tried to use the move he did in combat to create an area where anything could be infused with cryo, he could certainly get far without issue. Then again, it was hard to do such a move consistently. It was worth a shot, he supposed. 

The first attempt went just about as well as Chongyun thought it would. He got about half way across the first gap between him and where Xiao was standing before he couldn’t do anything other than let the ice below him give out. After swimming back to the cave, Chongyun knew he would have to come up with another plan. 

Xiao was still just standing near the pillar. 

“At least the heat won’t be a problem now,” Chongyun muttered to himself, looking at his soaked clothing. Figuring that the extra fabric would just weigh him down when he inevitably fell in the water again, the exorcist took off his over-shirt and shoes, then placed them neatly in the cave. 

Then, he walked back to the water and prepared to try again. There had to be a better way to do things, and he might as well go with the good ol’ trial and error method to figure it out. Emphasis on the error part, this would be proven very soon. 

Chongyun kept trying new methods, taking the things that worked and working around what didn’t. The only issue was that not a lot of things worked. He kept getting about half way across just the first stretch of water before messing up and falling into the water. He was so wrapped up in these attempts that he didn’t even notice that Xiao had disappeared again. 

He finally deduced that using a combination of all the possible ways he knew how to freeze water would allow him to most easily cross. Still, he couldn’t quite seem to figure out how to time it right, and Chongyun couldn’t deny the fact that he was starting to get frustrated. He was soaked, and tired, and he was starting to highly doubt Xiao really cared about this. 

This was proven when the exorcist finally noticed his teacher's absence. Again, he knew Xiao had duties to fulfill that were much more important than training him, but he could have at least given Chongyun something that was actually possible to do. 

Still, the exorcist wasn’t sure if it was spite, dedication, or just his yang energy, but he still wasn’t ready to give up. So, he sat in the cave, staring at the water, just trying to think of what he was capable of. That’s when Chongyun remembered that he knew how to put delays on his spirit blades, and suddenly he had a plan. 

So, after a few more failed attempts to cross, he managed to set everything up in a way he hoped would work. Chongyun stood at the edge of the water, took a deep breath, and started running. In retrospect, he should have accounted for the fact that spirit blades hitting the water could also hit him, but that was besides the point. He was miraculously able to avoid them by some miracle. 

When Chongyun reached the end of the ice bridge he had constructed for himself, he was met with the horrifying realization that he’d under shot things when there was still a gap in front of him. In a last ditch attempt to get this done, he summoned his claymore and slammed it into the water, freezing it over as fast as possible. Then, he took the last few strides to reach the base of the stone pillar Xiao had been standing at before he vanished. 

If Chongyun slipped at the last minute and all but face planted onto the ground as he got across, that was for him to know alone. 

Despite how tired he felt, Chongyun didn’t hesitate to celebrate his small victory. From where he was laying on the ground, he rolled over and laughed to himself in satisfaction. He felt so ridiculous, but after he spent archons know how long trying to just get across some water, Chongyun couldn't help but be proud of himself for at least getting it done. In all reality, it probably didn’t take him over an hour, but it felt like an eternity to the exorcist. 

That’s when he remembered that he still had the rest of the lake to cross. “Shit,” he spoke as he sat up and looked around for no reason in particular. He didn’t know if there was some sort of checkpoint system with each pillar, or if Xiao meant what he said when he said that every time Chongyun fell in, he had to restart. It’s not like the adeptus was around to tell him. 

Speak of the devil, that’s when Xiao appeared once again in front of Chongyun. The first thing the younger noticed was that there was clearly some blood on his teacher's clothing, and a large scratch on his left arm. Looking at Chongyun sitting on the ground, Xiao glanced at the surrounding area, similar to the way he exorcist had earlier. 

“Is this as far as you’ve made it?” He asked, his voice a bit more raspy than usual. 

“Oh, um,” Chongyun wanted to lie purely to avoid being a disappointment, but he knew that would do nothing to benefit either in the end. “Yes.” 

“Okay,” was all Xiao had to say about that. Then he extended a familiar hand to help Chongyun up, which he took without hesitation. And of course, the pair was no longer at the base of the pillar, but rather on top of one. “You know how wind gliders work, correct?” Xiao asked. 

The rest of the day went decently. It was a lot of Xiao dropping Chongyun off and telling him to go do something, then disappearing to go fight something as Chongyun deduced from Xiao’s increasingly more disheveled appearance. The only break in this pattern was when Chongyun had to ask Xiao to bring him back to the cave so he could get his shirt and shoes back. 

At the end of the day, Xiao’s absence wasn’t a huge deal, simply because Chongyun knew he was still getting practice in the areas he needed to improve in. 

Still, the temperature only kept getting hotter, and the exorcist only kept pushing himself harder. It was late afternoon when Xiao brought them back to the large tree they had started at, and simply instructed Chongyun to ‘climb it. Chongyun was busy using much of his will power just to keep his composure. Still, he nodded and walked to the base of the tree. 

Once he got there, Chongyun just placed his hands on the trunk and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to prepare himself. They had to be just about done with training considering the time, so all he had to do was climb this stupid tree, and things would hopefully be over with. This determination did nothing to quell the fact that Chongyun felt like his body was on fire, and he was getting less coherent by the second. 

Xiao was getting ready to leave again when he noticed the odd way his student was just standing there. That in mind, he walked over to Chongyun and waited for a moment before speaking. “Are you alright?” 

If he wasn’t so out of it, Chongyun would have turned to Xiao to reply. “Yes… Just- just hot is all,” he lied. Because of course he wasn’t alright, but Chongyun was as stubborn as ever when it came to taking care of himself. 

“Are you sure?” Xiao pushed. 

Taking a few more deep breaths, he answered, “Yes, I am.” Then, he looked up at the tree, and began to climb. Just as he was about to properly begin the ascent, Xiao put a hand on his shoulder. 

“You can’t do anything if you pass out, human. We’ve done enough for today, and you’re clearly exhausted,” Xiao informed. 

Not seeing any way to convince Xiao otherwise, Chongyun stood back on solid ground and turned to face his teacher. He honestly didn’t look any better than Chongyun did. His hair was a mess, and there was a significant amount of blood on his clothes, and clearly wasn’t his own. Then again, Xiao had his own injuries that looked like they might need attention. Considering what Chongyun had seen of Xiao in combat, the idea that anything could put him in this state was alarming. 

“I understand, Xiao.” Chongyun remarked. 

Then, they were back on the second floor balcony of the Wangshu Inn in an instant. “Go get cleaned up,” Xiao began. Then after a moment of contemplation, he finished. “You need to get something to eat, and I can get you what you want.” 

Not quite sure what to make of this, Chongyun replied. “Oh, okay. Should, I uh,” He was still having a hard time keeping his cool. 

“Come back up here when you want to eat. If I’m not around, just call out my name.”  

Chapter Text

After a long, grueling day of training and pushing himself to the limit, Chongyun was more than delighted to take a cold shower and relax for a bit. Still, he was a bit disappointed in himself for not being able to push further, but that was what training was for. You get stronger, so you can go farther, and one day you’ll finally be good enough. He knew he still had a very long way to go, but Chongyun was far from ready to give up. 

As he was getting cleaned up from the hard day's work, Chongyun couldn’t quite get one question out of his mind: Why did Xiao have them go through with training that day if he clearly had important things to do? He was constantly going off somewhere else, presumably to fight demons, as to be expected of him. Still, it didn’t make sense that he would insist on the two going off to somewhere Chongyun was potentially in danger if he had to be leaving so often. 

It didn’t feel like it was something worth dwelling on in the end. All the exorcist really wanted to do in the meantime was pass out so he could be prepared for whatever Xiao had planned for tomorrow. If he did have something planned that is. If not, Chongyun would probably go back to the harbor just to assure his parents he wasn’t dead considering he hadn’t been home for awhile. 

Just the idea of going back there scared Chongyun for the simple reason that he was likely to run into his old friends there. Perhaps he could face Hu Tao or Xinyan, but Xiangling and especially Xingqiu were out of the question. For now though, Chongyun was not focusing on these fears he built for himself, but rather on getting changed into some clean clothes so he could meet Xiao once again. 

While he would rather be getting some sleep, Chongyun knew that eating was in fact important for his survival. He knew Xiao telling him that he could get him what he wanted for dinner just meant that Xiao would be ordering something from the Wangshu Inn’s regular menu, but Chongyun wasn’t going to complain. Staying in at the Inn for as long as he already had was going to cost enough mora. Having a free meal every now and again was nothing to be upset about. 

After nearly reaching his limit during that day's training, Chongyun had to take a bit of time until he was sure he had everything under wraps. Eventually, he left his room, and went up to the second floor balcony. The sun had already set, and the sky was lit with countless stars already.

Looking out at the view was none other than Xiao. As per usual, he was sitting on the railing of the balcony, legs dangling over the side. Either hearing Chongyun’s footsteps, or just sensing his presence, Chongyun wasn’t sure, Xiao turned his head just enough to meet his students' eyes out of the corner of his own.  

“I take it you’re not on the verge of passing out now?” Xiao asked, a dry sarcasm apparent in his voice. This was not a tone Chongyun was all too familiar with in relation with his teacher. 

“Oh um, yes. Yes, I’m alright now,” Chongyun struggled to answer. 

Turning to face Chongyun completely, Xiao remained seated on the railing as he hummed in reply. As he looked at the younger, Xiao seemed to be pondering something before he spoke once again. “What is your favorite food, human?” He asked with the same seriousness he would ask any question about training. 

This was not something Chongyun ever expected to hear from Xiao. What is your favorite food, what was he even supposed to make of this? Sure, Xiao offered to get Chongyun another meal, but still. It was such an odd way of phrasing things. Still, the exorcist figured he might as well answer. 

“I… I rather enjoy Inazuman meals,” He spoke, choosing not to elaborate on the specifics as to why. Xiao already knew he got his meals served cold anyways, he didn’t need to know the reasoning behind that. 

Xiao seemed to contemplate these words before he pushed himself off the railing of the balcony, and took a few steps towards his student. He placed a familiar hand on Chongyun’s shoulder, and the teen immediately knew they were about to be teleported off archons know where. Although, this time there was a hesitation before the scenery changed into something entirely new. 

In that brief moment before they vanished, Chongyun caught sight of the look on Xiao’s face. He didn’t look his usual calm from when he was about to teleport them. Rather, there was hesitation and perhaps some doubt written in his expression, and suddenly Chongyun was a lot more worried about their destination. Before he was able to do anything about it, that familiar gust of wind came, and they were no longer standing on the balcony of the Wangshu Inn. 

The first thing Chongyun noticed was the large structure that stood nearby. The architecture was unfamiliar to the exorcist, but what further caught his attention was a large storm that hung over an island in the distance. Wait, island ? 

It’s not like Chongyun had ever seen them. Guyun Stone Forest was clearly visible from Liyue, but this island was certainly not the one he knew. Xiao had already moved away from his student, leaving Chongyun to gawk at the new sights. He turned to his right and saw more islands in the distance. 

That’s when the exorcist took a step, only to realize there was no solid ground under where he had tried to place his foot. Be began falling, but a hand grasped his wrist, and Chongyun was pulled back to safety with a harsh tug. 

“Be careful,” Xiao voiced from behind Chongyun. 

That’s when the younger realized he and Xiao were standing on a roof. Xiao seemed to realize the same thing. He blinked, as if he didn’t know that roofs weren’t exactly the safest places to stand. Still, he then teleported the two once again, but the surrounding scenery hadn’t changed other than the fact that they were now on the ground. 

Choosing not to comment on how he offhandedly almost caused Chongyun to fall to his untimely demise, Xiao took a good look at the area much like his student had just moments prior. “So it did work,” he mumbled, just loud enough for Chongyun to hear. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to find the meaning behind those words for the sake of his own sanity. 

Now that he wasn’t about to die, Chongyun was brought back to the topic at hand. “Xiao, pardon my asking, but where are we?” The exorcist had an idea, but he was in too much disbelief not to get confirmation from Xiao. 

“Inazuma,” and there it was. 

Never in his entire life did Chongyun ever think he would get to visit such a place. It’s just that he figured he would never really have a reason to. It’s not like he didn’t want to see Inazuma, it was just so out of the way. Not to mention the travel bans. But there he was, apparently, standing in the middle of a city in Inazuma for whatever reason. Speaking of which, “Um, could you explain exactly why we’re here?” Chongyun asked. 

“You said you enjoyed Inazuman meals. This is the best place to get those, is it not?” Xiao replied, like teleporting to a different nation was the most normal thing in the world. 

Still, Chongyun didn’t know how to combat that point. “That… That I understand. But, this feels a bit excessive to just get dinner.” 

Xiao turned so he couldn’t make eye contact with Chongyun. Despite this, his expression remained the same as ever. “You have put much effort into your training. I intended to reward you for your progress several days ago, but other matters were more dire. I can pay for whatever you wish to order for your meal,” the adeptus explained. 

This was not something Chongyun knew how to react to. Xiao wanted to reward him for his progress? He knew he had made improvements, but the exorcist hardly thought it was worth any kind of reward. “With all due respect, I really don’t think such a thing is necessary,” Chongyun spoke.

Xiao didn’t pay these words any mind as he began walking away, and his student had no choice to follow. He wasn’t about to be abandoned in a forien nation, let alone one as well known for being dangerous as Inazuma. “I saw a restaurant when we arrived. I’m not sure what they serve, so hopefully it will be to your tastes,” Xiao offered. 

It seemed Xiao intended to buy another meal for Chongyun whether he liked it or not. “Whatever is fine, really,” he didn’t want to be more of a burden to Xiao then he was already being any who. 

When the pair rounded a corner to look out at a fairly empty street, low and behold there was a restaurant. A sign hung above the establishment; Shimura’s. It looked like a few other customers were just finishing their food as Xiao approached the place, Chongyun following shortly behind. 

Without even looking at the man working the restaurant, Xiao took a menu from the counter which customers would sit at, and handed it to Chongyun. “Does this seem satisfactory?” He asked, sounding even more done with everything than usual. This was the first time Chongyun had seen his teacher around people other than himself, so perhaps that was the reason. 

Chongyun quickly looked over the menu. Even if he didn’t like the dishes listed, there was a good chance he would have said yes anyways. Luckily enough for him though, the restaurant served plenty of dishes Chongyun knew he enjoyed from what he’d tried of Inazuman food before. “Yes,” he answered. 

Xiao stood there and very subtly gestured to one of the chairs, signaling Chongyun to sit down. The exorcist complied, and realized that the restaurant worker had probably noticed that whole interaction. “Um, hello,” he started as Xiao came up and sat next to him. 

 “Hello, I’m Shimura,” the employee greeted. That explained the restaurant name. “Are you ready to order? If not, just let me know when you are.” 

Looking over the menu once more, Chongyun decided just to order what he was familiar with. Afterwards, Shimura looked to Xiao, “Anything for you, sir?” 

Xiao simply huffed and said, “No,” in return. 

Not seeing any reason to pry, the employee simply turned around to start preparing Chongyun’s food. Chongyun however, was a bit puzzled by Xiao’s actions. “Are you not hungry?” He asked, trying not to seem rude. 

“Adepti have no need for mortal food,” Xiao said quietly, probably in an attempt to keep Shimura from learning of his true identity. “Even if I wanted to, there’s not much I can eat other than Almond Tofu.” 

With that explanation, Chongyun decided to lay the topic to rest, “Oh, okay. Then, the two ended up in a very uncomfortable silence for a short while. It was a running pattern that neither really knew how to converse with the other. Xiao knew almost nothing of his student’s personal life, and didn’t find it necessary to ask about it, and Chongyun still didn’t know what it was okay for him to say to his teacher.

Luckily, the employee broke this silence as he placed glasses of water in front of both of them, “You two don’t look to be from Inazuma, so what brings you all the way out here.”

Chongyun immediately turned to Xiao for an answer, because he was sure that “we teleported here to get some dinner,” didn’t sound all too believable. Xiao didn’t look like he had any explanation either, he just remained more calm about it. 

“Oh um, you see he’s training me,” Chongyun began, gesturing to Xiao. “And it was decided that Inazuma was, uh, the best place to further my abilities,” he further explained, you know, like a liar. 

Shimura seemed satisfied enough with this answer, but he still had more to say. “I’m surprised you were able to get a travel permit with that reason,” he commented. 

By some miracle, Xiao decided to step forward and explain this one. Chongyun was about ninety percent sure he would get both himself and Xiao thrown in jail or something equally as bad if he tried to explain. Then again, prisons can’t exactly hold people who can teleport. Even still, the trouble would not be worth it. 

“A friend of mine is in charge of some trade here. She had enough connections so we could get the permits we needed,” Xiao said calmly. His lie felt too solid, like he had prepared it beforehand. Was this friend of his even real, because Chongyun could only think of Captain Beidou.

With little further inquiry, Shimura went back to finishing Chongyun’s food. In this time, the exorcist simply passed Xiao a thankful glance, and he nodded shortly in response. Then, the awkward silence came back, not even broken when Chongyun’s food was brought out. He ate quickly, while still taking what time he needed to enjoy the food. 

Even with the ingredients imported straight from Inazuma, it was clear now that Chongyun was trying real Inazuman quizine that you could never top it. At least not in his opinion. Once he finished his meal, as promised, Xiao took out a bag of mora and paid accordingly. 

Then, just as suddenly as they arrived, Chongyun and Xiao left the restaurant without a word. As he enjoyed the meal, this outing hardly even felt real to the exorcist. Just suddenly getting teleported to a new nation, only to just eat some food quietly, and leave, was so odd. The scenery was so forien and intriguing. But, Xiao seemed to be walking to a spot where he wouldn’t be seen teleporting away. 

Chongyun followed his teacher, much as he had earlier, but then something really caught his eye in the distance. On the peak of a tall mountain in the middle of the island, there was a building that gave off an uncanny glow. This glow wasn’t what made Chongyun stop to stare at it, but it was more the fact that he was sure he’d seen that glow all the way from Liyue. 

Something that could be seen from so far away was surely worth taking a moment to marvel at. Still, there was a question hanging in the air: what exactly was that place? As Chongyun continued to gaze at the sight, Xiao took notice of the fact that he was no longer following him. He retraced his steps and went to tell Chongyun to move along, but then he caught a glimpse of what the younger was looking at. 

“You want to go up there?” Xiao asked casually. 

Turning to face him hastily, Chongyun suddenly felt bad. “Oh ah, no. No it’s fine, we should get going,” he forced out. 

Xiao hummed and took a quick look around before placing a hand on Chongyun’s shoulder, and bringing them both up to the mountain in an instant. Once there, he removed his hand, and took a few steps forwards to look around. 

As Chongyun recalibrated his brain enough to function, he looked around as well. A dimly lit building stood in front of him. The railings on the walkways were painted bright red, and cherry blossom trees were scattered about. It looked like a shrine of sorts. 

Near the entrance to the shrine stood a woman wearing red and white, with long pink hair. She had already noticed Chongyun and Xiao’s sudden appearance, and she looked at Xiao with an odd sense of familiarity, at least that’s what Chongyun thought. Despite this, she went back to doing whatever she was doing before. 

“Do you know what this place is?” Chongyun asked Xiao, still taking in his surroundings. 

“No,” Xiao replied, simply. 

The woman with the pink hair must have been listening, because she budded in with, “It’s the Grand Narukami Shrine. You two are a very far way from home, but feel free to look around.” 

Before Chongyun could ask her any questions about that response, she walked off. He guessed it was obvious that neither Xiao nor Chongyun were from Inazuma just based on their clothes, but it was still odd the way the woman had phrased it. Like she knew something more. 

Still, there was no time to dwell on such things. “Well that answers that, I suppose,” Chongyun spoke. 

Xiao’s gaze lingered in the direction the women had walked with that same familiarity she had looked at him with. With a huff, he looked away and walked away from the shrine, and towards a path that led down the mountain. He stopped at a railing, and leaned on it, gazing at the view before him. 

Chongyun followed suit, and was amazed at what he saw. The open ocean reflected the night sky even better than in Liyue Harbor. The islands of Inazuma were splayed out across the ocean, the unique features of each of them were noticeable even in the night. The storm Chongyun had seen earlier was still visible, and it put into perspective how large and daunting it was over the island. He could see the lightning flashes even from a far distance. 

The lights from the city they had gotten dinner in shimmered, but it didn’t have the same glow as Liyue did. It was something different, less comforting, but still beautiful all the same. “It’s incredible,” was all Chongyun had to say. 

Xiao, while being far less awestruck, agreed with this. “I’ve never had the chance to visit Inazuma,” he admitted.

This surprised Chongyun more than it probably should have. Perhaps he just assumed that anyone who had lived as long as Xiao had would have taken the time to see the whole of Teyvat, but alas. Duties were shackles that bound people to their homes, Xiao was no stranger to this concept. Still, Chongyun turned to face Xiao in question, but the adeptus just continued to look onwards. 

There was the tiniest bit of remorse in his eyes. Like a longing for a life, or experiences he could have had if it weren't for the cards he'd been dealt. A yearning for something he knew wasn't an option, but he could hope all the same.

It was then that Chongyun noticed how truly tired Xiao looked. This was a true kind of exhaustion, born out of countless years of fighting. No rest was to come to one of Liyue’s sworn protectors, and Chongyun just felt bad. No doubt did the adeptus have a hefty weight to carry on his shoulders. Chongyun was burdening Xiao with yet another responsibility, all for the sake of his own selfish desire to grow stronger. 

That’s when Xiao spoke up again. “I’d like to apologize for my absence during your training today. It was an effort to get some of my duties finished before tonight so I could take you out for your reward.” His eyes remained locked forwards as he spoke. 

“I am not offended that you had more important matters to attend to, I can assure you Xiao. I’m not worth all the extra effort anyways,” Chongyun spoke quickly. He wanted to make it clear to Xiao that he didn’t need rewards for his training, especially if it could further get in the way of Xiao’s duties. 

“You’ve taken much time to meet the expectations I set for you. I’m sure you have friends and family you’d rather be spending your time with then training. I don’t want you to be deprived of your own life for the sake of my instruction, so a reward seemed necessary,” Xiao explained. 

Chongyun looked towards the view before them once again and began before he could stop himself. “I don’t really have any friends, at least not anymore,” he said with a self pitying chuckle. That’s when Chongyun realized that he probably shouldn’t have said that, but he already began, so he might as well finish what he started. “I got into an argument with one of my old friends recently, and… Well I decided it would be for the best that I cut things off with all of them. They’ll be better off that way.” 

It was Xiao’s turn to look at Chongyun, “Are you trying to protect them?” 

There was something so genuine in Xiao’s voice that struck a chord in Chongyun, and he suddenly felt a lot more emotional. Tears began to pool in his eyes, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was cry in front of Xiao. So, he closed his eyes and took a deep break, forcing back his feelings once again. 

“Yes,” he stated in reply. “I- I want to become stronger as an exorcist, and just in general so that I can protect people. So I can actually do something right for once. I want to protect my friends most of all but… I did a pretty bad job at making them feel protected, and it seems that they prefer me when I’m in a state where I have no control over myself.

“I figured that the best way to keep them safe now is to just cut off all contact. Then I can become strong enough to really help people, even if I can’t protect my friends directly. Plus, I’m pretty sure they don’t want to see me anyways.” 

A long hollow silence followed that. Chongyun’s words lingered in the air as Xiao took them in. There were several things he wanted to further inquire about, but there was a more important issue to be addressed. Chongyun was just busy trying not to let his feelings get the better of him. 

“Chongyun,” Xiao spoke. That really caught the exorcists attention. If he recalled correctly, he’d never actually heard Xiao say his name. “Don’t throw away everything you care about for the greater good. You’re allowed to enjoy your life, y’know.” 

“But I’m still not strong enough to do anything that I need to do. So I have to work hard, even if it hurts me-” 

“You’re stronger than you realize already,” Xiao interrupted. “You’re stronger than I thought you were when you first summoned me, and now I can only see how false my judgement was.” 

Chongyun was in disbelief, “Do you not think I could be working harder?” He asked, genuinely. 

“I think you’ve worked harder than you should have already,” Xiao answered. He seemed so certain in his words that Chongyun could almost believe they were true. 

"If I'm being honest, I don't think I have much of a choice at this point," Chongyun said, defeated. "My parents won't allow me to do the one thing I've been working towards my entire life, and my only option is to train so they might let me. I need to continue pushing myself if I ever want to be more then the disappointment they think I am." 

"Your parents sound like shitty people," Xiao put bluntly. 

Chongyun was surprised at these words, but he didn't entirely disagree. His parents were strong, and capable people who preformed their duties as exorcists quite well. Still, Chongyun was yet to understand the true logic behind their reasoning for suspending him from his work as an exorcist. "I guess you have a point." There was a beat of silence before Chongyun spoke again. "If I'm being entirely honest Xiao, I'm not sure what I would have done if you didn't allow me to be your apprentice." 

Xiao didn't know what to say to that, and he's not sure he ever would.  

"Thank you," Chongyun spoke. There was so much emotion behind those words that Xiao still didn't know what to do with. An echo of a memory bounced in his mind of a time he was taken in and given another chance to live. He had no one, and nothing but a burden he was never meant to carry at the time. Yet someone had helped him, like it was nothing in the world. The circumstances were far less dire in this scenario, and Xiao's role was reversed, but he felt something he couldn't place. He knew one thing for certain however, and he wanted to make it clear to Chongyun. 

"You don't need to thank me. You just need to take care of yourself. Your burdens are not yours to carry alone as long as you'll let me help you." 

"I-" Chongyun stared, and if he was just the slightest bit choked up as he tried to speak, Xiao wouldn't be one to comment on it. "I'll keep this in mind."  

The exorcist hardly even noticed when Xiao touched his shoulder, and they were back at the Wangshu Inn. “You should get some rest, we have more training to do in the morning,” Xiao instructed.

With another gentle gust of wind, he was gone, having won the biggest hypocrite in all of Teyvat award. Chongyun was left looking at the familiar view from the Inn, contemplating his teacher's words.

Chapter Text

Chongyun woke up feeling differently than he had in awhile. He wasn’t quite sure how to define it, but he felt lighter. Who would have ever guessed that opening up about some of the things that have been troubling him would help him feel less like he’s on the verge of breaking down all the time? Chongyun sure wouldn’t have. 

Not to mention, Xiao said some things that held a bit more weight than the younger was willing to admit. Just something about the fact that he found it so hard to think Xiao was lying got to Chongyun. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t really had someone be that blatantly kind to him in a very long time, even Xiao showed this kindness in a unique way. Maybe it was something else that ran a bit deeper. 

Maybe it was the faint understanding in every word Xiao had said. It seemed ridiculous because, how well could an adeptus and a human really relate to each other? The sheer notion felt outlandish, but it was one that lingered in the back of Chongyun’s mind. Not so much that it would be bothersome, but just present enough that he knew he wouldn’t forget it. 

That aside, Chongyun was more than ready to start a new day of training. He wasn’t quite sure if it would be more practice in maneuvering complex landscapes, or something entirely new. Quite frankly, he didn’t really care. 

A stark contrast to the borderline dread Chongyun was feeling yesterday when he prepared for the day, the exorcist felt excited. He wasn’t usually one for blind optimism, but Chongyun felt like things might actually start to get better as he moved forwards.   

As the exorcist left his room to go get breakfast, he wasn’t suddenly stopped by Verr, so he figured Xiao was busy for the time being. That was no issue, Xiao was always punctual to some degree. Besides, Chongyun was still a bit tired, and it would be nice to have a bit of time alone to let his brain wake up. 

After sitting down at the Inn’s restaurant and ordering, Chongyun decided that a bit of harmless people watching would be as good a way as any to pass the time. It wasn’t something he did often, or at least not intentionally, but there wasn’t much else he could do while waiting for his food. 

Looking around, Chongyun didn’t see much that was noteworthy. What looked like a family was sitting at one table, the kids engaged in a lively conversation while eating their food. At a table next to them sat a pair of businessmen, neither looking like they wanted to be there. On the other side of the seating area, an older woman was dining alone, but she looked content. 

In the distance, a pair was walking towards the inn, engaged in dialogue. One of them had dark hair that was pulled up into pigtails, and was dressed mostly in back and red, with spikes all over it. Next to her was a girl with short dark blue hair and- wait a second. 

That’s when Chongyun pulled his head out of his ass and realized that Xinyan and Xiangling were the ones approaching the inn. “Shit,” he spoke blankly. 

Without hesitation, he stood from where he was seated, and quickly departed the area. He wasn’t quite sure where he intended to go, but that was not the important part. What Chongyun needed to do was avoid the people he once called friends. Call him a coward, but he just wasn’t ready to face them yet. 

Not really knowing where else to go, Chongyun found himself wandering underneath a set of stairs. He didn’t put too much thought into this hiding place, he just needed a place to avoid Xiangling and Xinyan until they passed. If he got any strange glances as he walked to this spot, that was another thing to fret over at a different time. 

In that moment, Chongyun was just praying to whatever deity who might listen that Xinyan and Xiangling weren’t planning on sitting down and eating. So, for a few agonizing minutes, he just sat there under the stairs looking like an idiot to anyone who might catch a glance of this odd teenager. These short moments of anguish moments were nothing compared to visceral dread when he heard a familiar voice nearby. 

“So, what you plannin’ on orderin’?” Xinyan asked. 

“It’s hard to choose, there’s just so much great stuff on the menu. The chef here, Smiley Yanxiao, makes amazing food. Ahh, I just want to try everything.” Xiangling said, excited. 

Xinyan let out an amused huff, “Well, you’ll have plenty of time to. There’s no time constraints on those ingredients you’ve been lookin’ for, right?” 

“Nope,” Xiangling replied, popping the p sound. 

There was a beat of silence that made Chongyun hold his breath for fear of his presence being detected by the pair sitting what sounded to be very close. Far too close for comfort that is. 

“You reckon he’s around here?” Xinyan asked, still casual, but a new hint of seriousness found its way into her voice. 

“Not sure…” Xiangling spoke with a sigh, and Chongyun had a sinking feeling he knew who this person was. “His parents said that he’s off training somewhere, so at least we know he’s alright.” And that was all the conformation the exorcist needed. 

“I’m still worried about him,” Xinyan cut in.

That’s when Chongyun tuned out this conversation and started cursing the deities he’d been praying to just moments ago. He just wanted to forget about his friends, it would be for the better. Despite the things Xiao said about not throwing away the things he cared about, Chongyun still wanted to become stronger; he still wanted to protect people. That would be so much easier if he could just forget about his friends, and they could just forget about him. 

Speaking of Xiao, he really wished he had his teachers ability to teleport at the moment. Why did he have to pick the one hiding spot with no ulterior way out? That’s when Chongyun heard another snippet of Xinyan and Xiangling’s conversation.

“We’re stayin’ here tonight, right?” 

“Probably.” 

Chongyun looked upwards. “Well fuck you too I guess,” he insulted quietly. 

“That’s not a very nice thing to say,” Xiao’s voice spoke out of nowhere, causing Chongyun to jump and almost knock down the various vases stacked behind him. Looking at the direction of the voice, Xiao was in front of Chongyun, kneeling due to the low ceiling the stairs provided. 

Despite the initial shock, the only thing Chongyun was able to worry about was how loudly Xiao had spoken. In all reality he wasn’t loud at all, but Chongyun had no time for such rationality. So, he scrambled, and placed a finger over his mouth as well as Xiao’s, a clear signal that he needed to keep quiet. 

Noticing Chongyun’s distressed state, Xiao suddenly looked more serious. He began moving his hands in an odd nature, intentionally holding them up slightly so the younger would see. Upon further inspection, the exorcist realized that Xiao was signing. Not that this realization meant much considering the fact that Chongyun had no clue how to speak sign language. 

“Just get us out of here,” Chongyun whispered quickly. 

Xiao didn’t hesitate to oblige to this request. He grabbed his students' wrist and they were on the familiar second floor balcony of the Wangshu Inn. Xiao stood up normally and pulled Chongyun to his feet in the process before letting go of his wrist. 

“What’s the issue?” The adeptus asked tentatively. He didn’t seem insanely worried, but it was clear he held concerns about the situation. 

“I-” Chongyun cut himself off, trying to think of a way to explain things. “I saw some people walking towards the inn who I would rather not talk to. I didn’t know what else to do, so I hid in the first place I could get to.” 

Xiao’s expression morphed ever so slightly into something more… angry? Chongyun couldn’t really tell, nor could he tell if this so-called anger was directed at him. 

“Is someone trying to hurt you?” He asked, even more serious than before. 

Chongyun’s eyes widened in surprise. “What? No, um- Nobody is trying to hurt me,” even if just a bit, Xiao visibly relaxed at that. “I just didn’t leave off on the best foot with these people. Oh,” Chongyun just remembered another question he had. “Can I ask why you… showed up a moment ago?”  

Taking this in, Xiao hummed. “I was looking for you so we could begin training.”

Well that was something of an answer Chongyun supposed, but he still needed more elaboration to put his mind at ease. “Okay but… how did you know where I was?” 

“You were calling out, not to me specifically, but I still heard your voice and knew where you were,” Xiao clarified. Chongyun was still thoroughly confused, and seeing this written all over the exorcist's face, he continued. “I can hear when people call my name, even from afar. That allows me to know where they are so I can step in. Consequently, if someone nearby is seeking the attention of any deity, even if not myself specifically, I can come when they call.”

This was information to Chongyun. He always figured that when Xiao said all people had to do was call out his name for assistance, he meant that in a symbolic way. Turns out, that was completely literal.  He also noted the fact that Xiao needed no clarification as to why he had said anything to those who were listening. It was more sarcastic and spiteful than anything else, so what exactly was the limit to Xiao’s ability to come to people’s aid? 

“Are you ready to begin training?” Xiao questioned, breaking the brief silence that came from Chongyun’s thoughts. 

Chongyun was about to say yes, but then he remembered the food he had ordered. The food he didn’t have the chance to eat or pay for. 

“Um, about that.” 

A short while later, and with a bit of help from Verr, Chongyun had gotten breakfast and paid accordingly. Afterwards, Xiao brought his student to yet another unfamiliar place. There was a table and chairs on an island in the middle of a small lake. A tree shaded the chair, and there was a mountain towering nearby. The view that wasn’t obstructed by a giant rock was beautiful, especially in the early day’s light. 

Xiao neglected to venture towards the table, and instead found a spot under another tree to sit. Chongyun copied these actions, not quite sure what to make of this. Every time Xiao had brought them somewhere, it was usually straight to training. Still, he sat quietly and awaited instruction as Xiao summoned a checkered-board and placed it in front of himself. 

Are we playing chess? Chongyun mused. He wasn’t opposed to the idea, it was just unusual. He wasn’t all the best at chess, but he knew enough to win a game if he played his cards right. He’d lost almost every game he played with Xingqiu, but Chongyun had managed to beat Xiangling, Xinyan, and Hu Tao on several occasions, so at least there was that going for him. 

“You have skills in strategizing, but I believe you need improvement on coming up with these strategies quickly, and applying them without hesitation,” So they were playing chess. It made sense, it was a game that required much thought and strategy. Then again, Xiao’s methods of training never seemed to make sense. 

The adeptus summoned a small pouch that Chongyun assumed was full of chess pieces, but when Xiao poured the contents of the pouch onto the game board, he was met with a different sight. Rather than the well crafted and recognizable pieces, a small sum of checkers were scattered about. 

“Checkers is a simple game, human,” Xiao began as he set the pieces on the board. He was placing the black pieces on his side, and the white ones on Chongyun's.  “But, it can work as a passable metaphor for battle.”

The exorcist didn’t know what to say. Never in all of his life would he have believed he’d end up playing checkers with the Vigilant Yaksha, but here he was. Why checkers over chess was a question that played on loop in Chongyun’s head as Xiao continued to set the pieces in their designated places. 

“You understand how to play, yes?” Xiao asked once he was done, looking to make eye contact with his student. 

Blinking to get out of his confused daze, Chongyun nodded, “Yes.” The exorcist scooted so that he sat properly in front of his side of the board. 

After a short pause, Xiao said, “I’ll go first then.” He picked the front and furthest piece to his left and moved it forwards. Not much else someone can do for a first move in checkers. 

Chongyun was cautious in making his first move, not because he was worried he would make the wrong move -well he was worried about that- but because he was still so weirded out by this whole situation. He ended up moving the piece that was furthest to his right forwards, placing it by the edge of the board. 

“Some might believe that in conflict, the first action you take is the most crucial,” Xiao stated as he moved the piece furthest to his right forward and to the left. “Anyone with half a brain can start a fight, it doesn’t matter what methods they use. Your opponent's reaction is the thing that must be taken into account.” 

Looking up from the board to face Xiao, Chongyun gave him a confused look. All his life he’s been told that the first move could decide a whole fight, or anything for that matter. Then again, his teacher did have a point. Anyone can start something; Xiao was the one with at least half a brain who started this fight. 

“What if you can knock someone out in a single strike?” Chongyun questioned, moving his left most checker forwards. 

“Why would you knock someone out if they never started a fight?” Xiao returned. With that, he moved his right most piece from the second row forwards. 

This was something worth consideration. Instigating violence wasn’t what Chongyun strove for, even if he had the ability to do so. He pondered such things as he moved his second most left piece up a space. “Why would someone want to start the fight?” 

“Oftentimes people will hold a grudge. Others just want to fight. Sometimes there’s just opponents worth fighting,” Xiao answered as he moved another piece from the second row forwards. “It is impossible to know just why someone starts a fight. You must know how to respond regardless. See if your opponent is playing offensive or defensive. Analyze their methods, and respond in accordance with that and your own goals.” 

Chongyun moved a piece from the right of his second row forwards. Something about Xiao’s words perplexed him, “How does one manage to analyze an opponent's moves so quickly.” 

“Experience,” he offered like it was nothing. “Practice can only get you so far, you need to be in many real battles to truly understand how to read any new opponent's actions. However, practice is never something to neglect, even if it is less effective in the long run.” 

He moved another piece from the left side of his first row, and Chongyun saw an opportunity. He silently moved a piece forwards and jumped one of Xiao’s checkers. Before he was able to grab the object and claim it as his own however, Xiao pushed his hand to the side. 

“Never miss an opportunity, such a thing could prove detrimental in the long run,” as he spoke, Xio picked up Chongyun’s white checker, and moved it back to its original spot. Then, he moved it in the same way Chongyun did, and proceeded to jump another piece of his own that was open. He picked up both of his pieces, and handed them to Chongyun. “Consider it a lapse in the enemies' judgement. Sometimes, even when you don’t take the right actions, your opponent will still falter. Don’t expect this to occur often.” 

The younger let his mouth hang slightly ajar due to the shock of Xiao’s actions. His teacher didn’t seem like the type to give freebies, but perhaps this was a special case to further the odd metaphor he’s trying to portray. Chongyun gazed at the two checkers in his hand one last time before placing them off to the side of the board. There was still a game to be played. 

“Every action you take should be in the interest of taking out the enemy, no matter how small. Sometimes even sacrifices must be made; the ends justify the means, as they say.” Xiao informed as he moved a checker from the right of the board a space in. “Caution must still be exercised, as one to many sacrifices could lead to a total loss.” 

Seeing an opportunity, Chongyun claimed the piece that Xiao had just moved by jumping it with his own. If Xiao’s words held any value, it would mean putting his own piece in danger would be worth it. 

Xiao however, did not take such actions. Instead, he simply moved his left piece from the back row forwards. “Your opponents will seem irrational, or even contradictory at times. Remember, they are likely not striving to do the same thing that you are.” 

Trying to make sense of these words, as well as Xiao’s actions, Chongyun looked from his teacher back to the board. That’s where Xiao’s eyes were locked anyway. He just needed to play this smart. This in mind, he moved his piece that was in danger back a space, putting it at the edge of the board. 

Xiao moved his right most piece from the back of the board forwards. “You can’t fight purely based on reaction,” 

Chongyun was beginning to feel the slightest bit uneased, all because it felt like Xiao knew something he didn’t. Sure, he was giving the younger lessons on the complexities of battle, but it was a simple game of checkers. There was no chance Xiao could know exactly what Chongyun was doing based on his thousands of years of experience fighting. 

Unless there was some kind of underground checkers tournament made for the adepti that Xiao was the undefeated champion of, he couldn’t have known the root of every move Chongyun was making. 

Still, getting worked up over something as simple as a game of checkers was irrational. So, he moved a left piece from his second row forwards. Doing something unexpected would work to at least somewhat throw Xiao off course of whatever he was plotting.  Maybe Chongyun was just falling into Xiao’s trap by being paranoid, but still.

“If you don’t put thought into every action you take, then the battle is as well as over,” Xiao moved a piece from his right side  forwards. This move didn’t really seem to do much to impact anything, but that didn’t mean Chongyun wouldn’t take it into account. Still, his words once again seemed to read the youngers mind 

“How do you seem so sure of everything?” Chongyun asked before he could stop himself. 

Xiao only hummed. “I am teaching you the methods I’ve learned in battle. It would be foolish to believe that I could know every detail about your own strategy, human.” There was a brief pause, like Xiao was giving Chongyun a moment to say anything else if he wished. No words were given, so the adeptus continued. “However, I have my own strategy, and I can always try to guess what yours is. A shot in the dark still has a chance of being accurate, so take that shot if there are no other options.” 

Supplying more metaphors to explain things did nothing to aid Chongyun’s confusion. He carefully looked over the placement of his pieces, and then that of Xiao’s. “How can I focus on my own strategy when I’m too busy trying to counteract yours?” 

“As I said before, you can’t fight purely based on reaction,” Xiao explained. With no elaboration, this didn’t exactly help Chongyun, but he supposed it was just something to keep in mind. 

He moved a more central of his pieces from the second row forwards. If he could make a slow charge towards Xiao’s pieces, then he could give himself enough room to still have a way to jump them, but also leave Xiao with nowhere to go. 

 Xiao moved another of his pieces from the third row forwards without a word. This only served to put Chongyun more on edge. In favor of staying in full control of  his actions during the game, he summoned a popsicle and began to eat it. Xiao glanced from bored due to  the action, but didn’t make much of a deal out of it. Chongyun hardly noticed as he was too focused on what his next move would be. 

Putting far too much thought into the simple action, Chongyun moved a more central piece forwards. It would give him the option to jump one of Xiao’s pieces his next turn if the adeptus didn’t choose to move the checker back. 

Before Chongyun could think about it further, Xiao said these words, “Make any strike to the enemy as brutal as possible.” With that, he picked up one of his own pieces, the first one he moved mind you, and jumped five of Chongyun’s pieces in a single turn. “Such a thing will bring you much closer to victory than a few small actions.” 

Chongyun looked up towards Xiao in awe as he carefully picked up each of the checkers, and placed them next to the board. The entire time, he kept his eyes locked downwards, not an expression on his face, but clear concentration in his eyes. 

Suddenly, Chongyun realized there was more of Xiao to be scared about than just his strength. 

By the end of the game, Xiao had three checkers left, and Chongyun had none. He figured taking as many pieces as he did should be considered some kind of victory. Then again, how many of those pieces were sacrifices for Xiao to set up for victory? A good sum of them most likely considering the small pieces of knowledge Xiao kept delivering as the pair played. 

‘The enemy will often try to bait out their opponent with the promise of small victories,’ he had said at one point. Near the end of the game, Chongyun went for the good ol’ sit in a corner and move between two spaces until you can’t anymore, strategy. This was ultimately his downfall as Xiao was able to trap the last checker in no time and claim it for his own. 

At the end of the game, Xiao said these simple words. “While focusing on the things you need to achieve is a formidable strategy, always keep in mind there is a chance that your opponent sees things differently than you do. While the actions you take may seem rational at the time you make them, others will always be a step ahead of you because they can see all the things you cannot.”

Chongyun sat and took these words in for a long while as Xiao was putting the checkers back in the small bag he had taken them out of. 

Due to the sun beating down on the two as the game had carried on, Chongyun felt sweat forming on the back of his neck. That’s when he stood, leaving Xiao to finish what he had started. The exorcist  wandered a few steps closer to the pool decorating the landscape. There were stones that could be used to walk to the island in the center that had a rather unique pattern. 

The table on said island piqued Chongyun’s interest considering how little human life seemed to have touched the area. Who would come all this way just to eat in this obscure spot. It was beautiful, Chongyun would give it that, but it was still a bit unusual. 

He took one last step forward before a billowing voice came out of nowhere. “A mortal dare trespass in the land of the adepti?” 

Startled, Chongyun turned to this sudden voice. A large bird who the exorcist assumed to be an adeptus based on her words, was descending from the sky. The flaps of her wings were light, yet still caused a disturbance in the surroundings. “Leave now, or one will have to take severe action.” 

As the unfamiliar adeptus landed, Chongyun took a step back. He was scared due to the threat sure, but still a bit awestruck at the elegance of the deity before him. He had read about the adepti in books, and while he had gotten at least somewhat used to Xiao’s status, he never thought he’d meet another of Liyue’s sworn protestors,

“Make your choice now, or fate will not be kind,” she spoke dangerously before taking a step in Chongyun’s direction. 

That’s when a gust of wind cut through the area between the two, and Chongyun saw the familiar form of Xiao standing before him. “Cloud Retainer, calm yourself.” 

“What does one adeptus Xiao have to do with this?” She asked, continuing to stare in Chongyun’s direction. 

“I brought this human here,” he said. There was a mix of annoyance, and danger in Xiao’s tone. He stood unwavering to the other adeptus Chongyun now learned to be Cloud Retainer. 

She did not seem convinced by her fellow adeptus’ words. “One wishes to know why such action would be necessary.” She seemed just as annoyed as Xiao was, but at least she didn’t seem on the brink of committing murder anymore. 

Xiao crossed his arms and deadpanned, “I’d rather not force my apprentice to sit at the Wangshu Inn every day during training.”    

Chongyun wasn’t familiar with Cloud Retainer's mannerisms in the slightest, but it was abundantly clear Xiao’s words shocked her. “One would not have anticipated one such as yourself to take a mortal as his student.” 

“Well, it seems I did,” Xiao confirmed. 

Chongyun felt extremely awkward just standing there while the two talked, but he wasn’t sure what else he could do given the situation. 

With a huff, Xiao spoke once again. “I apologize for causing a disturbance Cloud Retainer, but I would rather you not try to kill this human.” 

Cloud Retainer looked from Xiao to Chongyun. “One should apologize for uninformed actions. May one learn of your apprentice’s name?” 

Xiao took a breath, and turned to the side so he could gesture back and forth between the two beside him. “Chongyun, this is Cloud Retainer, Cloud Retainer, Chongyun.” 

“It is one's honor to make your acquaintance,” Cloud Retainer said with a slight bow of her head. 

Still not quite sure what to make of this situation, Chongyun greeted the new adeptus the best he could. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well.” 

“Okay then, we need to go,” Xiao said to his student, already turning to walk away. 

“Oh, alright,” Chongyun nodded to Cloud Retainer in acknowledgement and turned to follow Xiao before a voice stopped him. 

“Chongyun,” she began, prompting the exorcist to turn back around and face her. “One must inform you that Xiao would not give such a title of apprentice to anyone. You must be a formidable individual, and that must not go unacknowledged.” 

Chongyun didn’t know what to say, but he didn’t need to worry about such things as Cloud Retainer called after Xiao. “One will be discussing these matters with you in the future.” 

Xiao didn’t even acknowledge these words. 

“Um, thank you,” Chongyun said to Cloud Retainer before following after his teacher. 

Once at his side, Xiao placed a hand on Chongyun’s shoulder and they were in yet another place Chongyun didn’t recognize. They were in the ruins of a colosseum it seemed, large stone bleachers on almost all sides. The air was crisp and cool, with the visible wildlife being a clear sign that they were now in Mondstadt. 

Xiao glanced around before taking a few steps away, leaving his back to face Chongyun. “I will be back in a few hours tops. Look around if you please.” He turned around, summoned a basket, and handed it to Chongyun. “Here is lunch if you need it.” 

“Thank you-” was all Chongyun was able to say before Xiao disappeared with a gust of wind.

Chapter Text

After Chongyun was left in an unfamiliar area of Mondstadt to fend for himself, he wasn’t really sure what to do. It's not like anyone was around to get information from. He wasn’t feeling particularly hungry, so the lunch Xiao had given him would have to wait. The exorcist also didn’t want to risk going too far from the strange arena he found himself in, for fear that Xiao would come back and have no idea where his student was. 

Then again, that fear seemed to be irrational based on what Chongyun had learned about Xiao’s ability to find people earlier that day. Perhaps he could look around a bit. From the cliff he was stationed on, Chongyun could see Dragonspine in the distance, but most of the view was obstructed by ruins and the landform. 

In the opposite direction, towards the sea, there wasn’t much to look at for the same reasons as before. That didn’t distract from the heavy clouds rolling in. Rain was sure to fall within the next few hours, and Chongyun wasn’t sure how he felt about being stuck in that weather. He was entirely opposed, in fact he loved the rain for a multitude of reasons, but whatever arbitrary task Xiao had planned was sure to prove even more difficult with that weather. Most things were after all. 

Chongyun still wasn’t able to get over the fact that Xiao had just dropped him in Mondstadt with no context as to why. Would the Wangshu Inn not be a suitable place to stay while Xiao went off and did whatever? The adeptus was usually very clear and up front with whatever task Chongyun had to complete. 

A small part of the exorcist wanted to call out Xiao’s name just to see if he would show up and give him an answer. Pushing that impulse aside, Chongyun began to look around the ruins he’d been left in. There really wasn’t much to see. Cages lined one side of the colosseum, presumably to hold the fighters who would battle there in the past. 

Most of the structure had broken apart given the ruins that were lying on the ground. What was still standing was in poor condition. The arena clearly had no use anymore except for adventuring perhaps, but it was still cool. Chongyun had investigated many ruins in Liyue in search of evil spirits, so he was rather at home in these ones despite the circumstances. It it really was used for fighting, a whole number of souls could be remaining. Spirits that were angry and potentially dangerous. 

Mondstadt’s history was not something Chongyun was familiar with, so he couldn't be sure. That didn't dismiss the fact that Mondstadt was privy to plenty of paranormal phenomenon's that Chongyun could investigate. He'd had several commissions in the nation before, hence the slight familiarity, but there was still so much to delve into. With all that Chongyun knew about Liyue’s past, as well as much of the legends due to his research as an exorcist, perhaps it was time he read further into Mondstadt's folklore to broaden his horizons. That however was another thing to focus on at a different time. 

For now, he was more interested in the hillychurls that could be spotted just outside of the ruins. If Xiao did have some sort of active training planned to contrast the game of checkers they had played earlier, Chongyun saw no harm in getting warmed up. Not literally, of course. 

A short while after Chongyun had finished fighting the small group of hillychurls, he found himself wandering around the ruins once more. He wasn’t sure why. There wasn’t really anything he was looking for, and Chongyun had never been big on treasure hunting. Although, some extra mora could be useful. There was a small part of Chongyun that hoped a spirit of some kind would show up, but that was highly unlikely all things considered. That aside, he was honestly just looking for a way to pass the time before Xiao returned. 

Chongyun wasn’t sure how long it had been, but Xiao had said he would only be gone for a few hours, if that. With each passing moment, the exorcist was just more anxious to find out why his teacher had left so suddenly. Was there some threat that needed to be taken care of right way? Maybe Cloud Retainer wanted to talk to Xiao again right away, as she had mentioned wanting to do so before. 

As he was caught up pondering these things, Chongyun didn’t even notice the bit of rubble that was laying right in his path. Before he could think, he was tripping with no chance of recovery. Still, he tried to keep himself from hitting the stone floor by reaching to grab onto absolutely nothing. Just as be began bracing himself for impact, a miraculous gust of wind prevented this fate from ever coming to pass. Chongyun was effortlessly pushed back to his feet, left to look around frantically in confusion. He didn't have the slightest clue what to make of what had just occurred. 

From behind him, Chongyun heard a familiar giggle, but he wasn’t quite sure where he had heard it before. He turned towards the noise, only to be shocked at the sight. 

On the edge of the stands that surrounded the colosseum sat Venti, the traveling bard. He had his lyre in hand, and was strumming an upbeat tune. “Hello again, Chongyun!” He called, cheerfully.

Chongyun was still baffled at the fact that Venti showed up out of nowhere. Could he teleport too? At least that settled the debate of whether or not Venti was human. Then again, maybe it didn't. Maybe he'd just been wandering around and just so happened to see Chongyun, then decided to go over just in time to keep him from falling. “I- um… Hi?” The exorcist forced out, not really knowing how else to respond. 

“Well don’t just stand there. I didn’t cause you that much of a fright. You can come over, I don’t bite,” a mischievous smile painted it’s way across the bard's face. He patted the spot next to him, welcoming Chongyun to sit there.

Bewildered and hesitant, Chongyun complied with this request. “O-okay.” 

 There was about a twenty percent chance Venti was planning on murdering him, or at least that’s what the exorcist thought. He wouldn't put it past the bard to be a serial killer all things considered. How else could Venti manage to be so threatening by just smiling? It was more then likely all in his head, but it was still on option to consider. With cautious, yet still somehow mindless steps, Chongyun made his way to the wall Venti was sitting on. 

“Ehe, you need some help up?” Venti spoke, looking down at Chongyun from his spot. 

Chongyun was still processing the question when yet another gust of wind carried him off of the ground and dropped him next to Venti with a thud. The exorcist was fortunate enough to fall on his ass rather than his head all things considered. Perhaps Venti really was trying to murder him, and this was just a failed attempt. 

Even more discombobulated than before, Chongyun looked at Venti with wide eyes. “You need to warn me before you do that.” Looking down and running a hand through his hair, he muttered, “Archons, you’re worse than Xiao.” 

At least Chongyun had gotten somewhat used to teleportation, but it wasn’t every day you got picked up by a wind current out of the blue. Let alone one that could pick you up without a glider. Sure, those with anemo visions could pick up themselves with the wind, but the exorcist had never heard of the ability to pick up others so effortlessly. 

“Don’t compare me to that grump,” the bard joked. 

Chongyun was too busy trying to compose himself to process such words. Instead, he simply said, “Can I ask why you’re here?” 

“Is there a reason I should not? This is my home, in case you forgot,” and there Venti went, speaking in riddles once again. Chongyun had only met the guy once, and it was clear it would be nearly impossible to get a straight answer out of him. 

Taking another breath, Chongyun thought of a better way to phrase things. “Did Xiao by chance send you here?” They were friends after all, or at least that's what Venti had said. If Venti could in fact teleport, then that was a possibility. Maybe Xiao just dropped him here as well and Chongyun just didn't notice. 

“Your deduction skills are divine. I’m here on an offer of a bottle of wine,” Venti answered, enthusiastic. 

“Oh,” in all reality, that didn’t surprise Chongyun. Venti had chugged more than half a bottle the time they ate breakfast together. “Do you know where he is?” 

“Not a clue.” 

With a sigh, Chongyun looked towards the sky. Rain would surely start falling within the hour. The exorcist summoned the basket Xiao had handed him earlier that supposedly had lunch in it. “Might as well eat this.” 

Venti peered at the basket for a moment before his smirk grew even wider. “Did Xiao give this meal?” Chongyun simply nodded, examining the contents before him. “So the Vigilant Yaksha truly is going soft. I can hardly believe this is real.” 

Choosing to ignore these words, Chongyun pulled a small container out of the basket. Rather than the almond tofu he expected, the exorcist was met with the sight of a salad. Not just any salad, but based on the ingredients it seemed to be the traveler’s signature dish: a Satisfying Salad. 

How Xiao got a hold of this recipe and managed to have it made- or did he make it himself? -was a mystery to Chongyun, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. Looking further into the basket of food, Chongyun caught sight of an apple. Knowing he wasn’t going to eat it, he opted to take it out and hand it to Venti. 

The bard seemed a little surprised at first, but graciously took the offer. “You’re too kind, friend.” 

There wasn’t much else to see aside from the glass bottle of water the basket provided, so Chongyun and Venti sat in silence and ate their food. The bard finished his food first, which made sense considering that he had far less to eat anyways. This was made clear when the silence was filled with a gentle tune from Venti’s lyre. It was different to the one he had played at the Wangshu Inn the day he and Chongyun had met. It was more simple, but it fit the scene quite well. 

Once Chongyun finished his own food, he put everything back in the basket and cast it away. For a short while, he simply listened to Venti’s song, enjoying the scenery. That was until a question crossed his mind. “Pardon me if this is intruding, but how exactly did you meet Xiao?” 

Venti’s song came to a sudden halt. This made Chongyun sure he had done something wrong. “Oh, um. My apologies, you don’t need to tell me, I was just curious.” He turned to face the bard, and his expression was hard to read. 

Venti let out a half hearted chuckle, “No need for that, really it’s okay. However, that’s a story for another day. Xiao and I have known each other for years, but up until recently, things have been less than sincere.” 

Just like that, the bard went back to playing his instrument. Something settled in for Chongyun, however. “Wait, so that means you're not-” 

“Ah, I’ll never get used to you doing that,” an unfamiliar voice cut off the exorcist. 

That was immediately followed by the voice of Xiao. “I’ll never understand you and you’re inability to do so. It’s just one place to another.” 

“Well teleportation isn’t exactly the same as walking, Xiao,” the voice retorted. 

Xiao simply scoffed in return. 

Chongyun was busy looking for the source of the voices, and it took until Venti grabbed his jaw and lightly turned his face in the right direction to see. Xiao was standing in the seats to the right of Chongyun and Venti. He was accompanied by a woman with long light blue hair. She had her back faced towards the pair.  

“Well look who finally decided to show up,” Venti commented, catching the attention of Xiao and this stranger as he stood and began walking over. 

Xiao just rolled his eyes while crossing his arms, and the stranger looked a bit surprised as she turned around. “Oh, so you’re the friend Xiao was telling me about. It’s a pleasure.” 

Now that Chongyun could see the new person’s face, she looked a bit familiar, but from where?

“Yep! I’m the one and only Venti the bard. The pleasure is all mine,” he said with a slight, yet still overdramatic bow. 

The woman smiled, “Well, I hope we can get to know each other better in the future.” 

Venti then giggled mischievously. “Honestly, I’m surprised Xiao has more than one friend-” 

 Xiao cut him off with a simple glare. 

“I’m kidding, ehe,” the bard offered. 

Chongyun had no idea what the fuck was going on. He just kind of sat there off to the side while Venti and this still unnamed friend of Xiao’s became further acquainted. Xiao looked was just standing quietly, waiting for them to finish the pleasantries so he could move things along. Eventually, his gaze caught Chongyun’s own. 

“If you two are done with small talk, there are other matters at hand,” the yaksha interrupted, looking back towards Venti and his other friend. 

The person in question glanced around until she too caught sight of Chongyun. “Oh!” She took a few steps in that direction, and the exorcist stood up with much haste. As he got to eye level with her, Chongyun finally knew where he recognized her form. 

“Pardon my rudeness. I’m-” 

“Lady Ganyu, of the Liyue Qixing,” the exorcist cut off with a small bow. “My name is Chongyun. I come from a clan of exorcists in Liyue Harbor. It is my honor to make your acquaintance.” 

Chongyun heard a poorly disguised giggle from Venti, but chose to ignore it. 

Ganyu on the other hand looked more surprised than before, perhaps even slightly embarrassed. “No need for such formalities. I’m off work right now anyways. But, I’m happy to meet you Chongyun. You’re Xiao’s apprentice, correct?”

It felt odd to be addressed in such a way for the second time that day: ‘Xiao’s apprentice’. At the end of the day Chongyun still felt like he was just some kid from Liyue Harbor who earned the pity of an adeptus, despite what everyone told him otherwise. Sure, he’d grown closer with Xiao, but it was still strange. He’d met another adeptus earlier that day, and now a member of the Liyue Qixing was addressing him by name. Surely, Chongyun wasn’t important enough for such things. 

Still, he had a conversation to continue, so there was no time to get lost in these musings. “Yes, yes I am.” 

A warm smile painted itself on Ganyu’s face as the exorcist put out a hand for her to shake. She took the offer, reaching out her own gloved hand. 

“And you still have training to get to,” Xiao cut in. 

“Oh,” was all Chongyun could think to say. Ganyu broke the hand shake and turned to the adeptus. 

Xiao surveyed the area for a brief moment before turning back to his student. “I have already explained some things to Ganyu and Venti, but let me ask you this, human: have you heard of the game mortals play called capture the flag?” 

Chongyun’s eyes widened. Those words did not just come out of Xiao’s mouth, the exorcist was sure it was all in his head. Surely, Xiao wasn’t implying that the four of them were to play a game of capture the flag.

“I, um- yes. I am familiar with the game.” 

“Then we can get started,” Xiao looked to Ganyu, “Your assistance with this will be very useful. You have my thanks Ganyu.” 

Without warning, Venti put an arm around Xiao’s shoulders, “I hate to pull this card, but surely you have thanks for the bard?” He said with a playful smile. 

Xiao just rubbed his temple. “Yes, you will get your wine.” 

“Is that all you think I came here for? What a shame. Any who, let’s hear more about this game,” Venti teased, tousling Xiao’s hair before removing his arm and standing with his arms behind his back. 

Chongyun was in awe of the action. One would have to be beyond foolish to treat The Conqueror of Demons in such a way. Then again, Venti probably didn’t see Xiao like that based on his actions. They were friends, the exorcist reminded himself. Xiao wasn’t The Conqueror of Demons to Venti. He was just Xiao, and based on what he’d seen of her so far, Ganyu probably saw things the same way. 

For a flickering moment, Chongyun realized the familiarity of this dynamic. It almost reminded him of- no. The exorcist stopped that train of thought as soon as it started. He was trying to move on from his friends, and that wouldn’t be helpful.

Still, these interactions felt like something Chongyun wasn’t supposed to be a part of, yet there he was. 

With a huff, Xiao began to explain. “We’ll divide into two teams. Venti, Chongyun, you will be on one. Ganyu and I will be on the other. These are likely the most balanced. Both teams have an archer, and two elements at their disposal. The rough parameters will be these ruins. Each team will be able to hide their own flag on opposite sides of the area.” 

Xiao summoned two brightly colored banners. The fabric nearly touched the ground despite both being partially bunched up and Xiao’s right hand. He reached this hand towards Venti, and the bard excitedly took the red flag for himself. “Each team will have fifteen minutes to hide their flag. I’ll have Ganyu fire a shot in the sky when the time is up to signal that the game has begun.” 

Venti opened his mouth to speak, but Xiao interrupted before he could. “The same rules go for Venti and myself: no teleportation. Preferably, none of us will try to kill each other either. Is everything understood?” Well that confirmed Chongyun's suspicions even further.

“Yep!” Venti said, examining the flag Xiao had given him. Ganyu simply nodded, and walked to stand at Xiao’s side. 

While Chongyun understood the instructions, he was still failing to comprehend this whole situation. It seemed like Xiao was serious, so it was apparent the four of them really were about to play capture the flag. 

With a deep breath, he answered, “yes.” 

Chongyun's gaze met Xiao’s own, and there was something akin to uncertainty in the shorter's eyes. Despite this, he didn’t hesitate to move on. “Ganyu and I will take the north side. Venti, you and Chongyun will take the south. We will only stop once one team wins, unless someone is injured beyond participation."

With that, Xiao looked at Ganyu and nodded. Chongyun’s attention was soon ripped from the pair due to Venti’s voice. “Need not worry about a spot for our flag. I know the whole of Mondstadt like the back of my hand, so I take it you’ll trust my judgement.”

“Of course,” Chongyun replied. “Although, we need to come up with a strategy. Do you have any ideas?” 

“A few, but it will be best to speak of them when the enemy is not in view,” the bard gestured to Xiao and Ganyu still standing nearby. 

“Oh, yes. Lead the way then I suppose.” 

The more Chongyun thought about it, the more Xiao being on the opposing team scared him. It was proven earlier that same day that the adeptus had countless bouts of knowledge in battle, and that was sure to be applied here. Ganyu was a complete wild card, but she was surely a skilled fighter all things considered. Hopefully Venti would come through with the hard carry, because Chongyun knew he wouldn't stand a chance on his own. 

As the exorcist went to follow Venti, the muffled sound of Xiao’s voice stopped him for a moment. 

“Don't go easy on Chongyun just because he's human.” 

“Are you sure?” Ganyu asked. 

“He’s more capable than you might think. This is about training him after all, I don’t intend on holding back myself.” 

Ganyu chuckled, and it was a mix between a real one, and something born out of fear. “Whatever you say, so what’s the plan then?” 

That’s when Venti’s voice came once again. “We don’t have all day, Chongyun!” 

The exorcist blinked and ran to catch up with the bard. He was trying not to think about the fact that he was in fact about to play this game with two adepti, and whatever Venti was. Chongyun, a human teenager from Liyue Harbor who just wanted to become stronger was about to play capture the flag with three immortals. 

He wasn’t sure what world he was living in, because it certainly didn’t feel like his own anymore. Even with all the doubt, Chongyun couldn’t help the small part of him that was excited to see how things would play out. Not to mention how Xiao was treating him as if he was on an even playing field. Maybe that was something to be more scared about then anything else. 

“So, Chongyun?” Venti began, pulling the exorcist out of his thoughts once again. “Tell me what you can do.” 

Chongyun and Venti had their flag hidden in just a few minutes. It was shoved between some stones a little ways down hill from the actual ruins they were in beforehand. Venti promised it would work, and who was he to test this judgement? He clearly didn't know their opponents as well as Venti did, and he knew the area far better. Not to mention with their quick work of hiding the flag, the pair had plenty of time to strategize. 

The exorcist's fear of Venti being a murderer was significantly dampened after he actually saw the bard talk with Xiao. The bard seemed unpredictable all things considered, and that could be used to their advantage.   

Venti had already been filled in on the basics of what Chongyun was capable of, so they just needed to figure everything else out in roughly ten minutes. They were sat hidden, but not near the flag in case Xiao or Ganyu were to see them. 

 “As you know, I control the power of anemo,” Venti started, gesturing to the vision on his hip. “You saw before, but I can create powerful updrafts as well as vortexes. Although, I might need to control this power in favor of not killing our friends by the end of the hour.” 

Because that put Chongyun at ease. He was trying to ignore the fact that he was about to be actively attacked by Xiao and Ganyu. 

“With the rain coming in, and the skills at our disposal, we’ll be sure to win, if you hear out my proposal,” Venti was studying the terrain before he looked to Chongyun, with a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

Chongyun nodded, “whatever you say.” 

“You’re familiar with anemo’s ability to swirl with other elements correct?” Another nod came from the exorcist. “Considering that Xiao’s biggest strength is his mobility, if we can hinder his speed, or better yet get him to freeze, their offence will be out of the way. I'm counting on you to keep the area covered in as much cryo as possible.

“Now for Ganyu…” Venti hummed. “I don’t know her combat ability, but she’s an archer. More than likely, she’ll be attacking from afar. That in mind, we’ll have to stay on guard.” 

Venti examined the state Chongyun was in for a moment. He was tentative, yet still unsure by the vagueness of Venti’s words. 

The bard’s tone changed. It wasn’t serious per se, but it was clear he was taking things seriously.  “I have trust in you, and you’ve seen how Xiao fights so both of us have that as an advantage. Ganyu doesn’t know our skills, but considering that Xiao does, he’ll probably give her a rundown.” 

“Well, what if we tried doing something unexpected?” Chongyun suggested. From what he’d seen in his game of checkers, Xiao was meticulous in his strategizing. He knew how to adapt to the enemies attacks, while still working towards his own goal. He spoke of using all the opportunities one had in combat, so if Xiao had the advantage of knowing how they fought, he would use that. 

“You have a point,” Venti replied enthusiastically. “Xiao knows how to think in battle. He knows how enemies think, and can react before they even do anything. This might seem like a long shot, but perhaps the best strategy is not to think.” 

 Now here’s the thing. Chongyun would be opposed to ‘so crazy they just might work,’ plans, but if he was he’d be a hypocrite. Trying to get Xiao to teach him was the most irrational thought he ever had and that seemed to work out just fine, for the most part. Who would he be to reject such an outlandish proposal? 

“So, you're saying that we just go in with no real strategy other than to freeze Xiao?” Archons, saying it out loud made it sound that much more ridiculous. 

“Almost!” Venti said, suddenly a lot louder than before. “You see, we still need to figure out where the flag is hidden, and I think I know where Xiao would want them to hide it. He would want to keep it in a place that is easy to protect, and hard to get to. My bet is one of the cages on the other side of the ruins.” 

“That is unless Ganyu made the decision to hide it, or Xiao decided to pull a wild card and put it somewhere we wouldn’t expect,” Chongyun added. 

“Well you know what they say, always expect the unexpected. They probably think we’ll go for the unexpected spots, but if we expect the expected, that’s unexpected for them.” 

Chongyun had no idea if he was following Venti’s words correctly, but he was willing to just go with it. He genuinely felt excited for whatever bullshit he and Venti were about to pull off. Usually he’d be over thinking to a fault, but the bard’s senseless enthusiasm was contagious, what could he say. Not to mention, this conversation felt so different to the ones Chongyun had with Xiao. 

He always felt the need to be so formal, and while the exorcist was a lot more comfortable around his teacher then he used to be, it was still difficult to carry out a conversation. Considering the fact that Xiao was the only one Chongyun had been talking to recently other than the employees at the Wangshu Inn, it felt good to talk to someone as social as Venti. Not that Chongyun was all that much of an extrovert by any means. 

The thing is, Venti reminded Chongyun of Xingqiu. That was undeniable. So, if for once he wanted to just forget about all this pressure he’d been putting on himself to leave behind his friends, who could blame him? Chongyun was only human, and he craved the normalcy of what he had left behind. A little selfish indulgence wouldn’t hurt anybody, right? 

This frantic scheming to do something that sounded insane was familiar, and it was fun. A lot more fun then Chongyun would ever dare to admit

Anyways, after a bit more senseless back and forth and very loose planning, a glowing blue shot was fired into the air. It caught both Chongyun's and Venti's attention in an instant. 

“That’s our cue, I trust you know what to do,” Venti said as he stood up, helping the younger to do the same in the process. “One last piece of advice to you before this all proceeds: Xiao won’t hurt you. Trust me.” 

With that, Venti walked to the base of a pillar and created an updraft for himself so he could get to the top. It would be a better vantage point to spot the flag, and or Ganyu, as well as give the bard easy access to jump into battle if need be. Chongyun walked out into the open, just hoping that he wouldn’t get shot. 

A light drizzle had already started falling from the sky, sure to pick up soon. Chongyun took a very brief moment to relish in the coolness, thankful that heat wouldn’t be a problem during this whole endeavor. He had yet to summon his claymore, knowing that he would be faster without it. When the time came where Chongyun needed to summon his weapon, he was confident in his ability to do so fast enough. 

Taking cautious steps forwards while looking around, the exorcist listened carefully for any movement. Neither Ganyu nor Xiao were anywhere to be seen, but it would be unwise to go for where Venti had assumed the flag to be right away. Then again, perhaps that would be the best option because of how irrational it seemed. 

Chongyun didn’t have the time to consider this, because out of the corner of his eye, he saw another bright blue shot going right in his direction. He had just enough time to do a dive roll and get out of the way. A simple doge would have done just fine, but Chongyun immediately learned that he made the right decision. 

After the arrow hit the ground, another burst of cryo came down and hit the surrounding area. That was certainly something to take note of. 

Chongyun whipped his head in the direction of the shot, only to see Xiao standing just a mere few yards away. 

“Pick and choose your battles carefully human, for I can assure you this won’t be easily won.” 

Chapter Text

Chongyun looked at Xiao in slight horror. According to his own rules, the adeptus wasn’t allowed to teleport. How he was able to appear out of nowhere in the brief moments Chongyun was looking away was not a pleasant thought when capture the flag was a game that was heavily reliant on speed. Not to mention how intimidating Xiao was on his own to the exorcist. With his polearm gripped and at the ready, it seemed like he was ready for battle, but this wasn't a battle. It was just a game of capture the flag. That's what Chongyun kept telling himself to keep calm. 

Behind Xiao, Chongyun saw a blue light growing in the distance. It was hard to see the exact source due to the rain, and the exorcist only hoped that Venti had a better perspective. The exorcist was a bit concerned about the possibility that he’d be having to be moving for the entirety of the game to avoid these attacks from afar, but he wanted to work on his endurance anyways. 

Xiao was still just standing there, keeping his gaze locked on Chongyun as the younger moved to dodge another shot from Ganyu. The cold bite of the cryo could be felt even as the exorcist moved away from it. Sure, he liked the cold, but he wasn’t immune to raw attacks such as this by any means. If this was some kind of intimidation tactic, it was working. 

Whatever Xiao was playing at, just watching as his student tried desperately not to get shot, the latter didn’t know. What he did know was that the only semblance of a plan he and Venti had was making the arena as cold as possible in order to slow Xiao down, so that’s just what he was going to do. If it didn't end up working out, then at least Chongyun could say that he tried. 

In the brief moment he had before another shot was fired at him, he channeled a burst of cryo into his hand and slapped the ground. The water from the rain that only continued to pick up from the drizzle it was before allowed a large portion of the stone floor to be frozen over with a thin layer of ice. It ended up spreading a lot farther then Chongyun had anticipated. At least that proved the fact that Xiao's training was effective. With ice covering the ground, Chongyun would be able to use it as a tactical advantage against Xiao. He more likely then not had a higher tolerance to the cold, and knew he to use the slick floor to better maneuver the ruins. 

Still, Xiao stood unwavering, that was until a glowing green arrow was fired at him. Actually, it was three arrows and Chongyun wasn’t even going to ask how Venti could pull that off. Anyhow, Xiao had no choice to doge as the arrows were right on course. 

The adeptus merely moved back, closer to the cages that lined the ruins. If that was any sort of tell, Venti was right about where Xiao and Ganyu had hidden their flag.

Based on the actions taken so far, Chongyun could only assume that Ganyu and Xiao’s strategy was to tire their opponents out. or at least just Chongyun. In the meantime, Xiao could play defensive and keep the flag safe, while Ganyu took control of the battlefield from afar. Once Chongyun and Venti used most of their energy, getting their flag would be like taking candy from a baby. 

This was just what Chongyun had concluded from the brief observations so far. He could be completely wrong, but it was good to keep his idea in mind. Perhaps Xiao and Ganyu had something completely different in mind, and we're just waiting for the right moment to strike. One thing was evident however, Chongyun needed to preserve his energy. Xiao had said the game would continue until one side won, so there was no telling when things would come to a close. 

Chongyun could have spent all the time in the world thinking about such things. Then again, he and Venti had agreed to winging it, and extended strategies would definitely go against that mentality. Not to mention that he was still under open fire. 

When the exorcist went to dodge yet another shot, he was unfortunate enough to slip on the ice that coated the ground. For the most part, Chongyun was rather good at navigating his way across ice, but it only took one misstep to discount all the past training he’d undergone to develop those skills. It seemed his so called tactical advantage would be his down fall if Xiao continued to stand still. 

In the brief moment before Chongyun fell to the floor, he felt the most visceral horror he had ever felt. As he was falling, things seemed to move in slow motion. Out of the corner of his eye, the exorcist saw Xiao appear right next to him, brandishing his polearm. His face held a dangerous expression, and every bit of Chongyun’s mind that knew Xiao would never hurt him, let alone kill him, disappeared in an instant. 

In a competitive game, of course Xiao would do whatever it took to win. He was treating it as a battle most likely, so who was Chongyun to blame him? 

As it turns out, the exorcist wasn’t met with the agonizing pain of being stabbed. Rather, he felt a hand grip his arm. In an instant, he was all but thrown several yards across the battlefield, the ice doing him no favors. Luckily, he was able to regain his footing, and summoned his claymore to stab it into the ground with haste. Not before he took quite a tumble before hand.  

Chongyun panted with wide eyes locked to the ground once he stopped. He didn’t feel horribly injured, but he was sure he had several scrapes and bruises. If his hands weren't both clung to his claymore, he was sure they would be shaking. It was more just the shock of what had just happened that got to the exorcist. Still, he tried not to think about it and broke of his bewildered trance to focus back in on the game. He just needed a moment to remind himself that Xiao hadn't actually hurt him, or at least not badly enough to count for anything. 

As he looked up from the ground, he briefly noticed the long gash his weapon had made in the ground leading up the where he had stopped. That was not the main thing that caught his attention. Rather, his gaze was drawn to Xiao climbing the pillar that Venti was stood upon. Well, he was more so just jumping at absurd heights go get up, but that wasn’t the important part. 

From what Chongyun could see, Venti was just standing there, despite having obviously noticed Xiao’s fast approach. The bard had a wide grin on his face, one that didn't show any semblance of fear. Chongyun didn’t even have time to see how that would play out, because he heard a thud in the other direction. 

He cast away his claymore and turned to face the potential threat. Ganyu was pushing herself to stand properly, probably having dropped down from wherever she was firing  before. She shook her head a bit to get her hair out of her face before casting her bow away. Chongyun seemed to freeze for a moment, not really sure what to do as Ganyu faced him. 

“You might want to be careful,” she said, a very faint smile tracing her lips. 

Then, she created something too fast from Chongyun to really figure out what it could be. All too suddenly, a huge sphere of some kind was in the air. The temperature of the arena had surely dropped a few degrees due to the large field of cryo it created. It took mere seconds for giant icicles to start miraculously falling from the sky. 

“Fuck,” Chongyun spoke before he picked up running in the opposite direction of the death icicles. It didn’t matter what they could actually do upon hitting him, he didn’t really want to find out. He didn’t even pay what Ganyu was now doing any attention, he just needed to get out of the range of the attack. 

He ended up at the large arch way that led further towards the edge of a cliff on the edge of the ruins. There, he stood for a few moments trying to catch his breath. The cold bit at his lungs, but the rest of his body felt fine. More than fine actually, aside from a bit of soreness. Chongyun worked best when it was cold anyways. 

After a few moments, he turned around to see what was going on, so he could think of a way to act accordingly. Ganyu was standing relatively close to where she was before, her bow aimed upwards. Looking the the direction she was firing, all Chongyun saw was Xiao jump up into the air and go for a slam attack. So that was something to keep in mind.  Occasionally Ganyu would make a shot, but it was clear she was aiming more carefully than before. What was a relief was the fact that the giant sphere of icicle death was gone. 

Chongyun’s first reaction was to rush in and attack Ganyu head on, but he stopped himself after taking a few steps towards her. She wasn’t the only one capable of summoning things made of ice that fell from the sky. 

So, doing a double take just to be sure he was close enough, he spoke a familiar mantra before sending a barrage of several spirit blades to Ganyu. The half-adeptus effectively dashed backwards before the blades were able to hit her just in the nick of time. That somehow put the exorcists' mind at ease, knowing that she wasn’t injured. Chongyun momentarily realized after that this whole ordeal was supposed to be about capturing flags, and not attacking each other. Then again, neither team would have any chance of getting anywhere if a bit of violence didn’t come into play. 

After this brief moment of clarity, the exorcist set off towards Ganyu, hoping to catch her off guard. This proved useless as she was already getting ready to fire at Chongyun from where she stood. 

Not trying to think about the risk he was about to take, Chongyun just ran towards Ganyu faster, but the latter didn’t make any moves to stop her attack. Just as she let go of the arrow, Chongyun slid underneath it, ended up behind the half-adeptus. Similar to the way he did before, he summoned his claymore and planted it into the ground to stop himself. Only this time, Chongyun kept a hand on the handle and used his momentum to swing back around. 

Just barely managing to pull the object out of the ground with enough time, Chongyun swung his weapon towards Ganyu. He was trying not to use enough force to cause any serious damage, but it was difficult all things considered. 

Ganyu was able to dash away yet again, leaving some kind of ice flower in her place. Despite how effortlessly she seemed to move through battle, the expression on Ganyu’s face told a different story. 

Her eyes were wide with shock, and her breathing was heavy as she looked at Chongyun, “Xiao was right when he said not to underestimate you” she commented, keeping a ready grip on her bow. She took a few steps back as well. 

“I’ve learned a lot from him,” Chongyun replied without a second thought. He was more busy thinking about the half-adeptus’ recent actions. She was backing up, and if she needed range to be effective in battle, Chongyun could use that to his advantage. 

The pair stood just several yards away from the cages that Chongyun assumed his opponents flag to be in. It was just a matter of getting her far away from them, so Venti could later distract her allowing for Chongyun to rush in and investigate. That just raised the question, where exactly were Venti and Xiao? They were clearly off fighting, or something along those lines. It was just odd that they weren't near the center of the ruins with him and Ganyu. 

Until the other two decided to make an appearance once again, Chongyun would just carry out this new plan and hope it worked. 

He approached Ganyu, making sure to adjust his angle so that he was walking away from the cages. From there it was just a game of cat and mouse, only this time the cat's goal was to get the mouse to go away and the mouse was attacking back. 

Chongyun kept taking swings at Ganyu, and she just kept backing up to keep firing at him in return. He was using all the dexterity he had trying to dodge the open fire. Once they were a bit more than halfway towards where Chongyun was trying to get Ganyu to go, an arrow of hers finally made contact. By some miracle, it went past the exorcist, but not before it was able to painfully graze past his upper arm. 

The exorcist let out a pained noise before casting his claymore aside to grip his arm. A bit of blood had already started to seep out of the wound and onto his white shirt. Not wanting to stop the game for a single injury however, Chongyun sealed it the best he could with a layer of cryo. That numbed the pain somewhat, but usually he’d wait a bit after getting injured before using these methods. He would just have to deal with it for the time being.  

Ganyu noticed the state the younger had been put in. She took a few steps closer, “Oh my, are you alright?” 

With a deep breath, Chongyun replied a strangled, “I’m fine,” before summoning a small spirit blade in between himself and Ganyu. This caused the half-adeptus to back up once again. She still looked concerned, but Xiao said only to stop if someone was injured beyond participation. Chongyun was still well off enough to fight it seemed, so she figured it best to continue. 

As Chongyun continued to push Ganyu back, both parties managed to get several hits on each other. It wasn’t anything lethal, or even serious, they weren’t trying to hurt each other after all. Still, when one swings a claymore and/or shoots arrows toward someone else, they’re bound to get a little hurt. 

After a few more minutes of this, a loud nearby thud startled both of the cryo users. They turned towards the sound, only to be baffled at the sight. 

A very beat up looking Xiao had slammed onto the ground, his polearm gripped tightly in one hand, and a bright red flag was gripped in the other. He looked up, a dangerous glint in his eyes. Venti came from out of nowhere and landed in front of Xiao with a much lighter thud. He didn’t look all that much better than the adeptus before him, equally as disheveled, and even more unhinged given the smile written all over his face. 

“Is the Conqueror of Demons getting rusty?” Venti taunted, firing several arrows at Xiao. The adeptus lunged out of the way, glaring at the bard before him. 

“I’m the one who has your flag, dipshit,” Xiao called back. 

Chongyun never in all his years would ever expect to see Xiao in such a state, especially by the hands of someone such as Venti. The adeptus was clearly angry, and it seemed he’d been putting in a lot of effort during the game so far. He seemed so composed before, but now he was blatantly insulting Venti who was doing so right back. He wasn’t sure what about Venti caused Xiao to resort to school yard insults, and at that point he was too afraid to ask. 

“Ehe, not for long you won’t,” Venti retorted almost playfully, pulling back his bow and firing a shot that left a huge vortex in its wake. That’s what seemed to pull both Ganyu and Chongyun out of their trance, as they both took action. 

Ganyu ran towards Xiao and Venti while Chongyun just sprinted towards the cages that he’d been trying to find an opportunity to go to the whole time. When he got to the area, his lungs were burning, but that didn’t stop him from frantically pulling the lever that would hopefully grant him access to look around. 

When the cage door opened, Chongyun searched for the bright blue flag Xiao and Ganyu were using, but to no avail. It looked like Venti was wrong about that one. 

Still, he had an opening, and this was probably the only chance he’d get to look for the flag, so he wasn’t going to dwell on this. He swiftly left the caged off area and examined nearby ruins, hoping for some sign as to where Xiao and Ganyu’s flag was hidden. Up near a platform that almost reached the top of the cliff it was stationed next to, a bright blue piece of fabric lay, hanging halfway off the platform. 

Right then, an arrow flew right next to Chongyun’s ear, so close that he could feel the cryo energy infused into it. He turned with a start, and Ganyu was standing several yards away, already drawing back another arrow. 

“I cannot permit you to take that flag, Chongyun,” She spoke, deathly serious. 

In the background, the exorcist saw Xiao lunging to catch up with Ganyu, but he was thrown into the air with an updraft created by Venti. Then Venti went to run over to Chongyun’s aid, but from the air, Xiao did a slam attack, successfully knocking Venti to the ground. It seemed neither of them would be much use, but that also explained just how both of them managed to become so pummeled. 

Chongyun couldn’t see a lot of ways out of this. He needed to get that flag if he wanted to win, so running out of the way wasn't an option. There was no chance he'd be able to just stand there and let Ganyu shoot him, however. What he did take note of, was the fact that he and Venti’s flag was discarded on the ground in the distance. The bright red stood out greatly against the grey stone floor. He couldn’t get up to the flag he needed without an updraft from Venti, and he couldn’t take much more time to think because Ganyu was still aiming an arrow at him. 

In a split second decision, Chongyun went to summon a spirit blade. Ganyu didn’t hesitate to fire after that, but the spirit blades weren’t directed at her. Rather, they landed right next to where Xiao and Venti were still fighting, catching both of their attention. 

Chongyun took the time to dodge the arrow Ganyu had shot at him, but when he stopped and was sure Venti was looking at him, the exorcist pointed up towards the flag. 

Venti scrambled to create an updraft, before Xiao all but tackled him to the ground. With some abysmal luck, the updraft was created, and was strong enough to carry Chongyun upwards. Being lifted in such a manner was no easier the third time around, but as long as Chongyun could get to the flag, a little discombobulation was fine. 

He was doing well until he became level with the platform, for as he did, the updraft started to die down. The exorcist was barely able to reach out and grab the edge of the structure before the wind was gone completely. Chongyun looked at how far up he was and immediately pulled himself onto the safety platform. 

There he saw it: a blue flag, completely drenched and placed haphazardly under a rock to keep it from blowing away. Clearly that didn’t work as some of the fabric had become visible from the ground, and Chongyun was sure that couldn’t have been intentional. 

He hardly had any time to relish in the glory of picking up the piece of fabric before another shot was fired at him. Chongyun looked back down to the ruins to see Ganyu aiming towards him, and Xiao standing guard between her and Venti. Venti looked up to see that Chongyun had the flag in his hands, and he smiled brightly at the younger before pulling back his bow and creating another large vortex next to Ganyu and Xiao. 

Chongyun figured that was his chance to take it all, so he took a couple steps back and took a deep breath. While he had used a wind glider before, he wasn’t all the best with them. The worst that could happen is he falls to his death, no big deal. Pushing that thought out of his mind, Chongyun ran and jumped off of the platform. 

He free fell for a few terrifying seconds before summoning his glider in his back. After letting himself glide for a short time, he cast the false wings away, and summoned his claymore. With a slam to the ground, Chongyun took a moment to compose himself before picking up and sprinting towards the bright red flag that had been left on the floor. 

Just as he reached the object and picked it up, Xiao came up next to him with a gust of wind. The exorcist didn’t even have time to react before he heard Venti’s voice call out, “Oh no you don’t!” 

Much like Xiao had done before, Venti tackled Xiao, and Chongyun took that as his queue to start running again. He ran like he never had before, the cold rain now biting into his skin, and his injuries from earlier burning. He knew he was exhausted, and the muscles in his legs were bound to give out some time soon. The exorcist heard the sound of one of Ganyu’s arrows being shot in the distance, and he wasn’t sure whether or not it was aimed at him. Despite all of this, Chongyun couldn’t deny for a second that he was having fun. 

An odd kind of fun. The kind where you are fearing slightly for your life, but fun all the same. Everything from squaring off against Ganyu, to planning with Venti, to seeing Xiao in such a different state than he’d expect, it wasn’t an experience Chongyun ever could have anticipated in all his years. But it was awesome. 

At long last, Chongyun turned the corner to where he and Venti had hidden the flag. The area was in a much more broken down state than before, likely from Xiao and Venti fighting. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do from there, but he was about eighty percent sure he and Venti had just won. 

He looked at the two flags he carried in one hand, the red and blue contrasting each other greatly. But there they were. 

It was quiet for a moment. Nothing but the sound of the pouring rain and Chongyun's labored breathing. 

“Holy shit,” He heard Venti’s voice say from nearby. “We fucking did it!” 

Chongyun was still staring down at the flags when he heard hasty footsteps, and an arm slung around his shoulders. “Someone pinch me so I know this isn’t a dream, the exorcist and the bard reign supreme,” Venti practically sang out. 

Looking up to meet the bard’s eyes, Chongyun still had a shocked expression painted on his face. “We won,” He spoke. 

“Hell yeah we did, now bring it in!” Venti said, pulling Chongyun into a bone crushing hug without hesitation. 

A few feet away, Xiao and Ganyu stood, both looking utterly exhausted and disheveled. Still, Ganyu had a fond grin on her face, and next to her, Xiao’s lips turned upwards in a small smile. There was no doubt in Chongyun’s mind that he looked proud. 

As the realization of their victory finally set in, Chongyun laughed and finally hugged Venti back. “Archons, I can’t believe it,” Chongyun said between laughs. 

Venti broke the hug and held the exorcist at shoulder length to say, “Well you better believe it. You’re talking to Bar-” 

“Venti!” Xiao called out suddenly, his tone was warning, but almost startled. 

The bard turned around with a nervous chuckle, “Now let me ask this Xiao, Ganyu,” he quickly changed the subject, but Chongyun still wanted to know what he was about to say. “How does it feel to have lost to us two?” 

“You fought a formidable fight,” was all Xiao responded with. Crossing his arms with a deadpan look. 

Ganyu rolled her eyes, still smiling. “I honestly didn’t know what I was getting myself into. Chongyun, what you pulled off was very impressive. I had a good time despite losing.” 

Chongyun’s eyes widened, “Um, thank you. And Ganyu, I’ve never even heard of some of what you’re capable of. You truly have many incredible skills at your disposal.” He praised. 

Ganyu’s smile just grew wider, “Now, I feel it would be best if we got out of the rain,” she suggested with a small laugh. 

“I agree, and I feel like a drink is in order,” Venti added. 

Xiao just rolled his eyes. 

Rather than going back to the Wangshu Inn as Chongyun expected, the four ended up just outside of a tavern the exorcist learned to be called Angel Share, courtesy of Venti teleporting them over. It was still raining just as hard as it was in the ruins they had played capture the flag in, and the streets of Mondstadt seemed relatively empty. The bard looked at the establishment with a wide devilish grin. “I hope you intend on keeping your promise to get me that drink,” he said to Xiao. 

The adeptus looked at Venti, annoyance written all over his face. “Is this really necessary right now?” He asked. Venti just fluttered his eyes at Xiao, and he sighed. “Fine.” 

Venti walked to the tavern’s entrance, waving at the man standing out front as he did so. The man in question gave the odd group a questioning look, but ultimately decided to let them be. Venti was holding the door open, and both Ganyu and Chongyun gave him a quiet ‘thank you,’ as they stepped inside. 

 Chongyun could only have imagined the things that went through the bartender’s mind as he saw them. Four idiots drenched, and covered in injuries walking into a tavern on late Thursday afternoon. The bartender in question had bright red hair, and despite the odd nature of the group before him, he seemed relatively unfazed. 

In fact, he just gave Venti a deadpan look, ignoring the other three completely. “Venti, for the last time I am not going to serve you if you don’t pay.” 

“Oh but Diluc you see, I’ve brought someone who will pay with me,” Venti smirked. 

The bartender, or Diluc as Venti called him, looked at the other three, specifically Xiao and Chongyun. “Are either of you even old enough to drink?” He asked, sounding annoyed but genuine.

Ganyu and Venti had to hold back their laughter, and Xiao looked like he was trying to restrain himself from committing a murder. So, he simply turned and went to walk up the staircase in the corner of the tavern. “I’ll go get him,” Ganyu said before following after the other adeptus. 

Chongyun just looked at Diluc, a bit nervous that he would be thrown out for telling the truth. “Um… I’m not.”  The bartender looked unimpressed, but at least he didn’t tell Chongyun to get out. 

Venti didn’t waste a second longer before going up to the bar and taking a seat. Not really sure what else to do, the exorcist followed. 

“Your finest bottle of dandelion wine, please. Oh, and how about some of that grape juice you have for Chongyun here,” the bard sang out. 

Diluc muttered something Chongyun couldn’t make out under his breath, but obliged to the request and began to get the drinks ready. 

The tavern was mostly empty aside from a few stragglers. That left the building near silent for a few short moments before Venti spoke once again, “you did great out there today, my friend. I’m honestly surprised we were able to pull it off in the end.” 

Chongyun was caught off guard by the sudden instigation of conversation. The adrenaline from the game was starting to wear off, and he was feeling rather worn out. “Oh, thank you. But really, it wouldn’t have been possible without our joined efforts.” 

“I suppose you have a point. But, credit where credit is due, I place our victory on you. All I did was stall Xiao, and he still got a hold of our flag somehow,” Venti said, with a smile. It was so genuine, but Chongyun couldn’t help but wonder one thing. 

“What exactly happened out there? Both you and Xiao seem very beaten up when he came back with the flag,” Chongyun asked. Venti was a stronger fighter then the exorcist had originally given him credit for. 

The bard laughed as Diluc placed their glasses on the bar top. Well, he actually just placed the whole bottle of wine in front of Venti. The bard took a long swig from it right away. Chongyun briefly examined the beverage that had been ordered for him. It just looked like regular old grape juice, so he figured there would be no harm in drinking it. 

After taking a sip, the exorcist was satisfied with the familiar flavor the drink held. “While Xiao and I are friends,” Venti began, “I know all the ways to push his buttons. He can be an excellent strategist, sure, but I can match his skills in combat. So, it was all a matter of getting him riled up enough to ensure he wasn’t focused on winning the game, but rather just beating me. That being said, both of us did get a bit carried away while fighting, to say the least.” 

That was made evident by the trace amounts of blood staining Venti’s clothes, and the various scratches and other injuries littering his body. His clothes and cape were torn and still drenched from the rain. That being said, Chongyun probably didn’t look much better. 

“You two must have to be pretty great friends,” Chongyun said, looking at the grape juice in front of him as if it held the secrets of the universe. Venti’s words struck a chord, and Chongyun was trying not to let it get to him. He just missed his own friends so much, it was hard to pretend he didn’t all the time. 

Venti noticed the exorcist's sudden solemn expression, “Chongyun, are you alright?” 

Blinking, Chongyun faced Venti once again. “Yeah, you just remind me of someone that I used to be close with.” 

“Oh-” before the bard could reply, Xiao and Ganyu walked down the stairs by his arm. Ganyu was practically dragging him along, but she still had a pleasant smile on her face. 

“My apologies,” the half adeptus offered before turning to Diluc, who was just standing idly behind the bar. “He’s just shy. Any who, I think you have a drink to pay for, right Xiao?” 

He huffed and pulled an arm from Ganyu’s grip. “How much?” He asked Diluc. 

“Seventeen-thousand mora.” 

“Does that mean you gave me the cheap stuff?” Venti asked, melodrama evident in his voice. 

“You didn’t seem to mind when you chugged half the bottle in one go,” the bartender retorted. 

Xiao just summoned a bag of mora and placed it on the counter. As Diluc went to make sure it was enough, Chongyun finished his own drink and slid off the barstool. He and Ganyu stood in silence, waiting for Xiao and Venti. 

The exorcist wasn’t really sure what was in store next, but all he really wanted to do was get back to the Wangshu Inn and sleep for as long as possible. Who would have ever guessed a simple game of capture the flag could be so exhausting. Well, it was far from simple, but that didn’t change the fact that Chongyun was tired, and in pain. 

Ganyu’s voice cut through his silent yearning for sleep. “Oh! Um, Chongyun, I think you're bleeding,” she sounded worried as she pointed to his arm. 

The exorcist looked at the appendage, and sure enough a large gash that he’d gotten on his forearm was dripping blood down to his hand. It must have reopened while he was talking with Venti. “Uh, you don’t need to worry about it,” Chongyun just brought his other hand to the wound and sealed it with cryo as he had with all his injuries from earlier. 

The cold bit into his skin, and sure it hurt, but he had endured far worse. 

“What are you doing?” Xiao’s voiced. It seemed he was done paying for the drinks. 

“Just taking care of an injury,” Chongyun answered. 

It was then that Xiao finally noticed the state that his student was in. Not just him actually, but the whole of the group definitely needed some kind of medical attention. The adeptus took a breath, “Venti, is there a healer we can go to?” 

“To the cathedral it is!” 

It took quite some time for all four of them to get medical treatment from the Church’s Deaconess. Well, all of them but Xiao, who blatantly refused any kind of healing, claiming that he would heal on his own soon enough. It was a shock when that actually turned out to be true. 

 Anyways, a kind young woman by the name of Barbra had rushed over to the group as soon as she caught sight of them in the building. It was otherwise empty aside from a few sisters minding their business. Barbra didn’t hesitate to treat them, although, she seemed less than amused when Venti answered her question of, ‘what happened to you?’ with, ‘we were just playing a game.’

Luckily, nobody was seriously injured. Just some scratches, and bruises. Apparently, Venti had broken a rib, but Barbra was able to take care of it in due time. While she was scolding the bard for his recklessness, Ganyu and Chongyun sat in the pews of the cathedral, waiting for them to finish up. Xiao was stood by one of the doors of the building, keeping his distance from everyone else. 

“You know, it honestly surprises me that you were able to get Xiao to train you in the first place,” Ganyu commented. 

“You and me both,” the exorcist replied, casually. 

“Really,” Ganyu took on a more serious tone. This caused Chongyun to look at her in question. “The whole time I’ve known Xiao, he’s been a bit of a recluse. He’s been fighting threats that I couldn’t even imagine, and I always thought he had a distaste for humans. I learned that was wrong of me to assume after the events of Osial attacking the harbor.”

Chongyun remembered that day. There was a huge rain storm, and everyone was panicking. All the citizens could do was watch as the threat was beaten with the sacrifice of the Jade Chamber. 

“Even still, I would have never imagined he would go as far as to take on a human as his apprentice,” Ganyu had an unpeaceable expression on her face. “You know, Xiao actually trained me for a bit not too long ago?” 

“He did?” Chongyun questioned. 

“Yes, and I can assure his ways of teaching them were no less unconventional then the ones he has now. Only, I was tasked to defeat monsters, but I’m sure you’ve had to do plenty of that,” She said with a small laugh. 

The month Chongyun had spent killing monsters with the most impractical weapon known to man came to mind. “You don’t know the half of it.” 

“I can imagine,” that same fond smile that was painted on Ganyu’s face when Chongyun and Venti had won, returned. Despite having just met the half-adeptus, Chongyun already felt comfortable casually chatting with her. Sure, he knew a bit about Ganyu due to her status as a member of the Liyue Qixing, but that didn't change the fact that he'd only known her personally for a few hours, and much of that time was spent fighting. 

 “He must think very highly of you,” Ganyu commented, looking towards Xiao. 

Chongyun was about to blatantly deny these words, but then something stopped him. He honestly wasn’t sure exactly what it was. “You know, people keep on telling me that. It’s getting harder and harder to believe it’s not true.” 

Soon afterwards, the four parted ways. They said their goodbyes to Venti, and  Xiao brought Ganyu back to Liyue Harbor when said something about needing to get back to work. Then, he dropped Chongyun off at the Wangshu inn. He had to leave soon after to adhere to his own adeptal duties, but that didn’t stop him from reminding Chongyun to eat something before he vanished with a gust of wind. 

The exorcist walked to the front desk and ordered dinner to his room. He just wanted to shower and fall asleep, despite it still being rather early in the evening. 

With everything that had happened, Chongyun couldn’t deny that it had been a good day, and he was looking forward to the next one as he passed out for the night. 

Chapter Text

Chongyun had woken up the next morning bright and early. While he sat up from his bed, his joints popped and cracked due to the exertion put on them the day before. He was beyond ready to get to another day of training. Fighting monsters? Easy. Endurance training? Go ahead. Some other outlandish means of training that Xiao came up with? Why not? Chongyun was far from an optimist, but he had this sinking feeling that it was going to be a good day if yesterday was any indication of what was to come. 

Maybe it was the high he was riding from he and Venti’s victory against Ganyu and Xiao in that game to capture the flag. Maybe it was something else entirely. The exorcist wasn’t quite sure, but he wasn’t about to ruin his good mood with unnecessary existentialism. It was a new day, and Chongyun was both ready, and looking forward to it. 

Maybe this misplaced excitement was just why the universe enjoyed cruel jokes so much. It felt more satisfying to see more drastic results, after all. 

Chongyun strolled to the ever more familiar restaurant area of the Wangshu Inn and took a seat. He only stopped to say a cheerful good morning to Verr who was stationed at the front desk, as per usual. When Chongyun looked over the menu, he was given a painful reminder that he couldn’t eat many of the things listed. A small part of him was reminded of what Venti said about asking for something off the menu so often that they just went with it, but he didn’t want to be a bother. 

Besides, Chongyun was willing to settle for almond tofu once again. Every time he had the dish, it became more abundantly clear why Xiao was so fond of it. Sure, eating it couldn’t be very good for his diet, but that was beside the point. 

It seemed the employees at the inn were growing more familiar with Chongyun’s presence based on the more friendly way the seemed to act around him. A waitress who had served the exorcist several times greeted him with a friendly smile. “Good morning Chongyun! What can I get for you today?” 

The sudden use of his name caught the teen off guard, especially considering that he didn’t know the name of the waitress. “Oh, good morning to you too. I’ll just get the almond tofu, served cold if possible.” 

Chongyun went to take a sip from the glass of water the waitress had brought out when she spoke again. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was Xiao always ordering instead of you. Anyways, that will be right out for you.” With that, Chongyun choked on his water in surprise. He knew that Verr knew Xiao, but he was unaware of any other employees who knew the adeptus. Let alone ones that knew Chongyun knew Xiao. 

He was left in a short coughing fit as the waitress walked off. As he wheezed, trying to get his lungs to function properly he muttered a short, “Archons.” 

A few more moments of trying to catch his breath later, Chongyun went to take a sip of water to help his now sore throat. 

“Chongyun, is that you!?” 

He almost choked on his water again. The voice that called out the exorcist did not belong to the waitress who had taken his order, but it was familiar all the same. A small- no, a very large part of Chongyun wanted to shrivel up and die at that moment. That didn’t really seem like an option all things considered, so instead he just stared at his glass of water with uncanny intensity.

Either he would look preoccupied, or insane. Honestly, he didn’t care which, as long as he was left alone. 

“Chongyun!” Another familiar voice called. This was bound to happen at some point, Chongyun was just hoping that it would have taken a little longer. Alas, delaying the inevitable would do nobody any good, so with a deep breath, the exorcist reluctantly turned to the source of these voices. 

There, walking towards the very table Chongyun was sitting at were Xiangling and Xinyan. Xinyan’s expression was hard to read, but Xiangling just looked relieved at the sight of her friend. In fact, she all but ran over as soon as her eyes met Chongyun's own. Unlike previous encounters, she didn’t reach out to hug him, opting instead to stand a few feet away. 

Her smile remained, but it was strained as a bit of realization seemed to set in. 

“Uh, hello,” Chongyun greeted, trying to stay calm. Xinyan caught up to Xiangling, and just looked at the exorcist. “Would um… Would you like to sit?” He offered, gesturing to the table he was seated at. 

“Oh! Sure, we don’t have anything to do right now anyways,” Xiangling replied with a short laugh. She sat on the opposite side of the table to Chongyun and Xinyan took the spot next to her. 

Once the pair settled, Xinyan took her turn to speak, “So, what brings you out here?” She kept her words casual, but there was clear tension in the air. 

Right, Chongyun had to think of an excuse. He would rather be anywhere else if it meant he didn’t have this conversation, but it’s not like he had much of an option. “Well, I think I’ve mentioned it to you Xiangling, but I have something of a… Of an apprenticeship. It just works out best if I’m here rather than the harbor.” 

There, he wasn’t lying, just avoiding a name drop. 

Both Xinyan and Xiangling seemed satisfied enough with that answer. “That’s why you’ve been so busy lately, right?” Xiangling asked, recalling when Chongyun had explained some things to her a short while ago. The exorcist answered with a nod. 

“Must be some teacher you got with how distant you’ve been,” Xinyan commented. “I thought you were trainin’ yourself, why the sudden need for an apprenticeship?”  

“Unforeseen circumstances, to put it simply,” he answered. 

“Y’know,” Xiangling began, “it’s hard to believe it’s only been, what? A week since we saw you last.” 

That Chongyun could agree with. It was likely the month beforehand that he went not seeing them, but the past few days really solidified that gap that had grown between the teens. 

“Yeah,” Chongyun reiterated.  

“Speakin’ of last week, you ran off pretty quick after Hu Tao told her story.” Xinyan remarked nonchalantly.

That’s something that hadn’t even crossed Chongyun’s mind. It seemed he was too distracted by his fight with Xingqiu to even consider how everyone else would react to his disappearance that night. 

At Xinyan’s words Xiangling leaned forwards in her seat, “Yeah, you just kind of picked up and left.” The Chef's expression morphed to something somber. “I- You’re not mad at me for inviting you, right?” 

“What?” Chongyun retorted, genuinely confused. “No, of course not Xiangling. I have no reason to be.” 

She visibly relaxed at that, but still seemed a bit worried about something. Xinyan did as well. For once it felt like Chongyun wasn’t the one dancing around an issue, but rather the two before him were. Sure, he didn’t necessarily want to see the them, but he wasn’t going to be rude and demand that they leave. He wanted to move on from his friends because he cared about them, so going out of his way to be aggressive and rude would be counterproductive, to say the least. 

“Well, I’m glad. But Chongyun,” Xiangling sounded significantly more serious than before, “I know you’ve been busy training, but it feels like you’ve been avoiding us. If it’s something serious, don't need to hide it. We'd be happy to help.” 

Before Chongyun even had the chance to open his mouth to respond -it’s not like he even knew what to say- Xinyan butted in. “There’s no sense in lyin’, Xingqiu told us that you two ain’t friends anymore after you disappeared that night.” 

This felt like some kind of intervention, and he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. Chongyun was also worried about the implications of what Xingqiu had said. There wasn’t really a way out of this except through, so the exorcist just took a deep breath and tried to explain things. 

“You see… I-” this was a lot easier in theory, it seemed. Especially with Xiangling and Xinyan’s expectant eyes fixed on him. “Well, Xingqiu and I got into a fight, and... Well, we were both angry, and I just said something-” Chongyun cut himself off once again. A new daunting question was held above his head: Did he actually mean what he said? 

The exorcist didn’t want to entertain the thought for the time being, but it would certainly be something to keep in mind. “What happened between us isn’t something you two need to be concerned with,” He attempted to explain. 

“Well Xingqiu also told us you didn’t want to see any of us, so what was that about?” Xinyan didn’t sound accusatory, but something close to it. 

“That’s because I don’t,” he said without thinking. And that was the moment Chongyun knew he fucked up. 

His once friends looked at him with wide eyes. “What do you mean?” Xiangling said, with a short disbelieving chuckle. 

“I…” He took another breath, closing his eyes as he did so. “I think it’s for the best if the two of you leave me alone. Please know it’s not because either of you have done anything wrong.” 

“You’re not as funny as you might think, Chongyun,” Xinyan bit. 

Chongyun turned to the musician and looked her dead in the eyes. Trying to keep any emotion out of his voice he said, “That’s because I’m not joking.” 

“So what, we’re just… not friends anymore?” It was clear Xinyan was angry, and Chongyun regretted every decision he had ever made leading up to this point. However, there was a small reassuring voice in the back of his mind that told him all of this was for the best. 

“Yes,” was all he answered with. 

Xinyan stood violently from her seat and strode off without another word. Chongyun watched as he did so, a small grimace finding its way to his face. That was all the emotion he would have the chance to show before he turned to Xiangling who was still sitting in front of him. 

The exorcist wasn’t ready to meet the sight of a teary eyed Xiangling looking at him with near disgust. “You know, Xingqiu was right. You really are a shitty person, Chongyun.” She wiped her eyes and stood. As she passed the exorcist, she said, “I don’t know what you’re trying to do here, but I hope it’s worth it,” before walking away. 

It took until the chef was out of his line of sight for Chongyun to really let what had just happened sink in. He put his head in his hands and tried to hold it together. Once he got over the initial hurt, it would be fine. Well, that’s what he told himself in an attempt to remain cool. This is what I wanted , he reminded himself. 

That didn’t make him feel any better. It was nothing new to Chongyun to know that some of the most necessary decisions were the hardest to make. That still didn’t change anything. Tears threatened to spill over, so he just closed his eyes tighter and took the most controlled breaths he could manage. 

He could just deal with these emotions later, or never. The latter seemed more likely, because this so-called ‘later,’ where Chongyun finally let himself actually feel things never seemed to come around. He could just hold onto this because he was stronger than the hurt from a few lost friends. Friends that he lost on purpose. This was his fault, after all. 

“Are you okay?” A cautious voice asked. 

Chongyun jumped from the startle, and looked to the voice. It belonged to the waitress who had taken his order before. She was standing with a plate of almond tofu in her hand. That at least helped the exorcist to remember what he was doing in the first place: He was getting breakfast so he could have the energy he needed for training that day. 

That’s what all of this was for. 

“Oh um, yes. Thank you,” Chongyun watched as the waitress placed the meal in front of him on the table. 

She soon left, and for a short while afterwards, the exorcist just stared at the almond tofu. He didn’t feel particularly hungry, but he still had things to do that day. What else was there that he could do anyway? 

Chongyun eventually found himself on the balcony of the Wangshu Inn waiting for Xiao. It was already a habit to do so after he finished his breakfasts in the morning. When he got there, Chongyun ended up leaning on the railing and stared into the distance. The sun was gradually rising in the sky, slowly enveloping the landscape in it's familiar light. It was certain to be a hot day.

The more Chongyun thought about what had happened prior with Xiangling and Xinyan, the more mad he was. Mad at himself to be specific. 

If he could have just been smarter in the first place and not gotten so caught up in his training he could have avoided this. During that first month, it would have been so easy for him to just take a break once and awhile and talk to people. In fact, if he'd only just worked harder to be a better exorcist, things would have been better. Then again, maybe something like this was inevitable. All the people he once knew now agree that he’s a bad person, so what’s to say that wasn't true?

It was so much easier when Chongyun just told himself that he wanted to cut things off with the people he cared about so much. Then it was all just a plan, a construct that could be given up on if he ever so desired. Now this plan has been carried out. It was real, and it was so much harder to deal with. Xiao had told Chongyun not to throw away what he cared about, and he went ahead and did just that. 

It was his fault everything ended up the way it did, so Chongyun couldn’t be angry at anyone but himself

‘A heart of clear water, and a face of ice,’ his ass. Whoever decided to start describing him that way was an idiot. Chongyun was certain that a better description would be, ‘A heart of a shitty person and a face of an idiot.' Yeah, that sounded good enough. 

It’s not as though he ever did anything good for people anyways other than just showing up. Hell, it seemed he couldn’t even do that right. 

Chongyun didn’t even realize how tight his grip had become on the railing until his hand started to hurt. Even then, he didn’t release it, he only stopped the grip from tightening. 

“Human,” Xiao’s voice greeted, cutting through the silence as well as Chongyun’s thoughts. 

The exorcist turned to see Xiao sitting on the railing to his right. He was looking at the view, but shortly after Chongyun. He looked just the same as ever, while the younger was trying to do the same, but it was still so difficult to keep it together. “Xiao,” he greeted back. 

The adeptus looked his student over, eyes lingering on the white knuckles of his hand. “Did you get enough rest last night?” 

“Yes,” as he spoke, Chongyun looked towards the view once again. He didn't want to meet his teacher’s eyes for fear that he would see right through him and know something was wrong. In all reality, he just wanted to get to training as a means to distract himself and to stay calm. “What do you have planned for my training today?” 

As the exorcist asked, Xiao turned and slid off the railing onto the balcony. He took a few steps forward, taking a look around the familiar area. “That depends on what you want to work on.” 

At these words, Chongyun didn’t think as his already impossibly firm grip on the railing tightened once again. He wasn’t quite sure why. “I feel you are better at assessing my abilities than I am.” 

“I’ll give you the options then,” the adeptus began. “In the face of battle, it is important that one knows different means of combat in the event that it becomes necessary. You’re proficient enough to hold your own with a claymore, human, but it should be necessary for you to be adept with more than one weapon. I am unaware of what other skills you have, but I could begin to teach you the basics of using a polearm.” 

“And the other options?” Chongyun pushed. It’s not that the idea didn’t pique his interest, but the exorcist wasn’t sure he could deal with a lesson like that given his state. He wanted something more mindless, maybe even something more violent. 

“As a preface to the former option, you could show me the extent of your combat ability so I can further assess what you are capable of. Due to your previous training, I have not been able to see you in many intensive combat situations where you are at your best. This could also work as a form of endurance training for extended battles-” 

“That one,” Chongyun spoke, suddenly. He was still facing away from Xiao, so he wasn’t able to see how his teacher reacted to the sudden words. All he knew was that he wanted to fight something right there and then. 

“Are you sure? There is a risk of putting too much strain on your body after yesterday, human,” Xiao’s voice didn’t carry any worry in it. He was simply informing Chongyun of the danger that came with his actions. Neither would acknowledge it, but it was abundantly clear that the adeptus was concerned for his student’s well being. 

Chongyun felt the muscles in his arm strain because of his still firm grip on the railing. “I’m certain,” he answered Xiao’s question. 

The exorcist heard the light footsteps of his teacher come closer, eventually ending at his right side, just where Xiao had been before. As the adeptus placed a hand on Chongyun’s shoulder, his student flinched just enough to be noticed. “Are you alright?” He asked. 

Chongyun didn’t know if this question was born out of Xiao’s general concern, or because he didn’t do a good enough job at hiding the state that he was in. Either way, he didn’t care. Finally letting go of the railing, Chongyun turned suddenly to face Xiao. “Can we just go?” There was a slight bite in his words. 

Xiao’s eyes narrowed, but it clearly wasn’t due to anger. “Okay,” the adeptus said before bringing the pair to a location Chongyun now recognized as Huaguang Stone Forest. They were standing under the same unusual tree that they were the last time they had gone there for training. 

Without hesitation, Xiao began to stride off, Chongyun following close behind. He looked towards the sky as he walked, and squinted his eyes as the sun shone brightly. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, just a vast expanse of the familiar sky. The temperature was only going to increase as the day went on, but for once Chongyun couldn’t bring himself to care. 

When Xiao suddenly halted, Chongyun almost bumped into him. He nearly fell in his attempt not to do so, but Xiao didn’t seem to notice. What he was more focused on was a strange crystal-looking device on the ground. With careful eyes, the adeptus examined the thing before facing Chongyun. 

“This device here will attract monsters. It’s been damaged due to previous uses, but it should still be functional. To activate it, just touch it and defend it from the monsters, do you understand?” Xiao held eye contact with Chongyun as he dished out the instructions. 

With a nod in reply, Chongyun preemptively summoned his claymore and approached the device. Reaching to touch the object as per directed, Xiao spoke up once again. “Don’t get yourself hurt,” and with that, he walked a short ways away to watch as his student began the training exercise. 

These words only worked to further instigate Chongyun’s self-directed anger, but he just took a deep breath and tapped the object before him. In an instant, it began to glow a bright blue. Chongyun took a few steps back from the surprise. At least it was working. 

After the initial surprise dissipated, Chongyun was left standing in anticipation. It was just a matter of waiting for the supposed monsters to show up. Silence coated the area as he stood in his stance, ready to face whatever opponent that was bound to come his way. With an impatient scan of the area, Chongyun let out an annoyed sigh. 

“Is it supposed to take this long?” He asked, turning his head to face Xiao. 

The adeptus just crossed his arms. “Don’t humans have a saying, ‘patience is a virtue’?” 

Chongyun huffed and turned away once again. 

Several agonizingly long minutes later, a group of four hillychurls could be spotted hobbling over. Chongyun didn’t even think before rushing over to attack. They were just a few hillychurls, and he’d been itching for this fight. It was just a means to let out a bit of anger, or so he liked to tell himself as he swung his weapon, knocking one of the poor monsters to the ground. 

The others were quick to attack, but Chongyun was faster. He gave his weapon another hearty swing and knocked the three to the ground. They didn’t have time to recover before the exorcist cast a spirit blade down on the hillychurl’s. The creatures soon dissipated into nothing, but a sound alerted Chongyun that he wouldn’t have time to bask in his victory. 

With a sharp turn, Chongyun saw that another group of hillychurls -this time accompanied by several smachurls- were rapidly approaching the device. It was better that way, as constant fighting would allow the exorcist a viable distraction from his feelings, as he simultaneously let them out. 

That seemed like sound enough logic to him. 

With a few quick steps, Chongyun was enveloped in another fight, this time allowing his blade to be infused with cryo. The water on the ground gave him the leeway to freeze his opponents feet to the ground. With a few, near effortless swings of his claymore, Chongyun finished the monsters off. 

From there, it was only a matter of time until another group showed up. When the creatures progressively trooped over, Chongyun took a breath and just gripped his weapon tighter. 

Some time later, Chongyun wasn’t exactly sure how long, he still found himself in the midst of battle. Xiao wasn’t kidding when he said this would work as training for extended battles. What Chongyun did know was that the heat had started to take a hindrance on him long ago. With each enemy defeated, he found himself fighting harder to keep his composure than he would any hillychurl. 

The edges of his consciousness were perpetually growing more fuzzy, threatening to push him into an unaware state at any moment. A bright, blazing, sun beat down on him, only working to make his body feel like it was on fire. At the time, the only thing that was allowing Chongyun to keep his yang energy from taking over was will power, and the brief coldness that the use of his vision provided. 

Despite this, Chongyun refused to entertain the idea of stopping the training exercise any time soon. It felt better to mindlessly fight monsters than anything else he could think of, for he knew that the second he stopped he'd be absorbed in his own thoughts and self doubt once again. It was easier to remain in a state where he had to focus on what was right in front of him in order to not get hurt. 

For once, Chongyun wasn’t even thinking of all the ways he could disappoint Xiao if he stopped fighting. It was just him, his claymore, hillychurls, and a fleeting consciousness. He wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

In this state, the exorcist hardly even noticed the abundance of injuries he had sustained. He just attributed any pain to his yang energy acting up. In all reality, there were several sizable gashes now littering his body. As well as this, his fighting was becoming continuously more sloppy. Miscalculated attacks would put him in dangerous spots, and sometimes he would just miss entirely. 

Another thing he failed to notice was the familiar voice calling his name from a short ways away. 

If this was endurance training, well let’s just say Chongyun’s endurance was running out. Yet there he was, refusing to put the scrimmage to an end. 

Chongyun was currently in the midst of a brawl with a mitachurl, it’s wooden shield remaining sturdy even when pummeled by the exorcist's persistent attacks. By some miracle, he hadn’t been murdered by the thing given his state. It just remained unwavering, like when a parent puts their hand on the head of a  who’s child desperately trying to put up a fight, but as always, the child's attempts prove futile.

Maybe the on looking hillychurls got bored of watching Chongyun swing his claymore with all the might of an angry child, for one finally drew his attention away from the larger beast. It’s methods were less than conventional, as the hillychurl took the liberty of tackling our poor exorcist to the ground. The slightly frozen over water that covered the land did not provide for a pleasant fall. 

In the process of this uncouth attack, Chongyun just managed to get his claymore in front of him to block the hillychurls' frantic punches and scratches. Even still, he was pinned to the ground. It took a considerable amount of effort for Chongyun to push the creature away and regain his bearings. The sudden disruption only worked to push the fuzziness of his conscience further along. 

He felt light headed as he stood, the only real thing keeping the exorcist balanced was the claymore he now had planted firmly into the ground. “Chongyun!” He heard the voice call this time. Actively choosing to ignore it in favor of continuing the prolonged battle, Chongyun hoisted up his weapon once again. The lack of support for his stance caused the exorcist to waver with the shifted weight.

In a desperate attempt not to fall over, Chongyun swung his blade at nothing in particular. There was a hillychurl in the vague direction of his strike, but nothing was hit. As he did this, Chongyun felt several fleeting gusts wind around him.

 After his miserable attempt at an attack, he started to fall forward with the momentum. Luckily, a hand grasped the back of his shirt and pulled him to stand properly. 

“You have completed the training exercise. It would be reckless for you to continue fighting in your state. I already deactivated…” Chongyun stopped listening as he shuffled towards a remaining hillychurl. He wasn’t really sure what happened to the rest of them, but he wasn’t going to stop fighting now. Not even when instructed to stop. 

That’s when a figure suddenly appeared in front of Chongyun. In surprise, he cast away his weapon, and was promptly hoisted onto the figure's shoulder. The exorcist’s dazed out mind didn’t even register that it was Xiao who had picked him up. This factor, among many others, led Chongyun to struggle in the firm grip. 

“Fucking let go of me!” He commanded, but Xiao’s hold on his student did not falter. 

It would have been a sight to see for anyone who could potentially pass by. Xiao was shorter than Chongyun, not by a significant amount, but enough to be noticeable. So, seeing him effortlessly carry Chongyun over his shoulder while just strolling about had to look ridiculous in some capacity. 

Anyways, in his struggle, Chongyun felt the control he had on his yang energy rapidly decrease. All attempts to fight it would be futile, and in a matter of moments, he felt the composure he had slip away. 

The last thing Chongyun registered before blacking out was that he was placed on the ground under the cover of a tree.

Chapter Text

Xiao wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the human struggling in his grip, but he wasn’t exactly concerned with his own feelings at the time. There were much more important matters at hand, like making sure said human was in good health. Chongyun had always been a pretty competent and respectful student as far as his teacher was concerned. He could be a bit reckless in terms of pushing himself, but usually if instructed specifically to stop he would. 

With all that said, Xiao would never have imagined a situation where he would have to physically carry Chongyun out of a battle, yet there he was doing just that. 

Well, it was far from a battle after Xiao took care of the majority of hillychurls to keep his student from being killed, but that wasn’t the point. The sudden and blatant irrationality that came from Chongyun left the adeptus both puzzled and uneasy. His first priority was just to make sure the teen wasn’t in danger, and he could further assess the situation from there. 

“Fucking, let go of me!” Chongyun shouted, his words slightly slurred. He was hoisted over Xiao’s shoulder, and his wrestles proved futile in the adeptus' grip. Upon first instinct, Xiao wanted to comply with this demand, but considering his state, Chongyun was likely to just fall over if left to stand on his own. So, as the exorcist continued to struggle, Xiao kept him secure over his shoulder. 

He carried Chongyun from the battle ground over to the towering tree that was nearby. Something Xiao did take note of in this time was that his student’s body temperature was relatively high, from what he could tell. Xiao didn't let this concern him until Chongyun’s body temperature seemed to rapidly increase in a matter of seconds. Taking a quick look at the teens face, Xiao could see that his gaze started to look hazy and spaced out. Far more alert than before, the adeptus picked up his pace towards the tree. 

After settling on a spot, Xiao kneeled down and slid a now limp Chongyun off of his shoulder onto the grass. His face was flushed, and Xiao could only hope it wasn’t a heat stroke that was ailing the exorcist. 

 Without a moment's hesitation, he shifted so that he could bring an ear close to Chongyun’s face and listen for breathing. As well as that, Xiao placed a hand on his chest. Xiao was far from an expert in terms of medical treatment, but countless years of fighting would lead anyone to pick up a thing or two. Before the adeptus was able to properly judge the state of his student, a hand swatted his own away. 

Xiao turned his head and was met with the sight of Chongyun looking back at him, with only one eye peeked open, and an out of character smile on his face. It was worth noting that his usual thin, silted pupils were dilated far more than normal. 

It was hard to place exactly what, but Xiao could immediately sense that something was off. Not in an observational way, like the conclusions he was drawing about Chongyun behavior from before. It went further than that, like some fundamental part of Chongyun had been altered somehow. While he chose not to jump to any irrational conclusions, Xiao still thought it best to exercise caution. 

As the adeptus scooted back to give the student space as he regained a full consciousness. Xiao was concerned that the younger might have sustained a concussion of some kind. It would add up with his condition just moments prior, but other things didn’t quite seem to add up. Another possibility to consider. 

“Chongyun, are you okay?” Xiao asked, masking any worry he had with a sort of assertiveness. 

The young exorcist sat up far too quickly for Xiao’s liking. He shot the adeptus another amused smile, “Better than ever, actually.” 

“I need to examine your condition and make sure you haven’t sustained any serious injure-” Just before Xiao finished his statement, Chongyun stood up and began wandering off like he didn’t almost just pass out moments prior. 

In an instant, Xiao was standing right before Chongyun, arms crossed over his chest. “Chongyun, there is a chance you might be in a critical state right now. I don’t know why you are acting like this, but you need to calm down for a second.” 

“I think if anyone needs to calm down it’s you, Xiao.” Chongyun said with a short laugh. “I mean, sure I got a little roughed up back there, but I’ve been through much worse. You’ve seen it during training and whatnot. So relax, you don’t have anything to worry about.” 

“If that’s the case, then care to explain why exactly you almost passed out?” Xiao retorted. He didn’t know what was with this sudden attitude change, and as annoying as it was, he couldn’t help but still be worried. 

Chongyun blinked in realization like he'd just forgotten what just happened. More likely, he just thought Xiao would brush it off. Whatever the reason for his sudden epiphany , it was soon forgotten with a huff a wide smile. “You know what it’s like when you fight for a while, sometimes you just need a quick power nap?” 

“I don’t need sleep, human,” Xiao deadpanned. 

“Same difference,” Chongyun bit back with a chuckle. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going for a stroll, see what I can find and all that. This place is rad.” He stepped around Xiao and began to walk off once again. Wide eyes with a curious spark gaped at the towering cliffs enclosing the area. He hardly got three steps away before was stopped right in his tracks. 

Xiao had grabbed his wrist, and wretched Chongyun so that he was back in the same spot as before. “Something is clearly off, human.” 

Chongyun looked Xiao over, and put a hand on his chin in thought. After a moment, he started laughing like he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. Xiao squinted his eyes in confusion, but decided to keep quiet for the time being. It was clear Chongyun wasn’t his usual self, and Xiao was going to figure out what was wrong one way or another. 

After his laughter came to a stop, Chongyun looked at Xiao with a shit eating grin, “I see how it is. You want to fight me, don’t you?” 

“Fight you?” Xiao replied, unamused. 

“Yes, fight me!” Chongyun seemed to wait for another response, something Xiao wasn’t going to give. Eventually he gave up and continued. “Come on, it's so obvious. You’re clearly trying to annoy me, and trust me it’s working. So come on, square up oh Conqueror of Demons.” With that, Chongyun took a messy fighting stance, holding up his fists and bouncing on his heels. 

All Xiao could do was let out a disappointed sigh. “I am not going to fight you.” 

“What’s the matter, you scared that your old man bones can’t take a hit from me?” Chongyun taunted, placing a hand on his chest and holding the other in front of him dramatically. “I understand the fear, but I’m sure you’ll be a formidable opponent. You’ve asked me to attack you before anyways, this time I just know you want to fight back for real. But, if you really want, I can take it easy on you.” 

Xiao wasn’t an idiot, and he knew that even with this sudden change in demeanor, Chongyun still had to be tried from his fight before. Not to mention that even if the human was at full strength, he wouldn’t stand a chance in a real fight against Xiao. 

The adeptus remained quiet and continued to look at his student, not a hint of amusement on his face. 

“I’ll take your silence as acceptance to our duel,” With that, Chongyun took a few steps back and turned around. “We will start on the count of three.” He held up three fingers so Xiao could see. The movement was highly exaggerated, to which Xiao had no reaction. In a brief moment of stillness, Chongyun tried to subtly peek over his shoulder, to which he failed miserably. 

Xiao continued to stand in the same place, refusing to go along with whatever little charade this was. 

Then, speaking far too quickly as if to get the upper hand, Chongyun said, “1, 2, 3, Go!” He turned and took two long strides jumped up to preform a sorry excuse of a kick. All Xiao had to do was step to the side to avoid it. As he landed, Chongyun faced Xiao, a malicious smirk painting his features. “You might have been able to dodge that one, but can you dodge this?” 

He aimed a punch at Xiao’s face, that of which was easily blocked by a simple move of the adeptus’ hand. If this was any indication of Chongyun’s hand to hand combat ability, then perhaps that was the next thing Xiao needed to work on with him. “Oh ho ho. Well, can you handle this?” The exorcist said with the same smirk, and a smug tone to accompany it. 

From there, he continued to throw messy strikes at his teacher, all of which were easily parried or dodged. The process was mindless to the adeptus, like any battle was. This was just even less so. 

As ridiculous as the whole situation was, Xiao was at least content to know that if Chongyun was trying to ‘fight’ him, he wouldn’t be putting himself in danger elsewhere. 

That thought caused Xiao to falter slightly, giving Chongyun the upper hand to try and kick Xiao in the ribs. It was still unsuccessful, but it made him even more cocky. “Haha, looks like the Vigilant Yaksha isn’t as unbeatable as he thought he was.” 

Xiao refocused, still not saying anything, but he couldn’t get something out of his mind. He was still a danger to Chongyun, just by being around him. At any given moment, Xiao’s karmic debt could start to take over, and the teen would be dead in seconds. It was why Xiao still tried to remain distant, and why he was even now hesitant to continue training Chongyun. 

Yet there he was, thinking that he could protect the human from danger when he was the biggest danger of all. It was silly to think that while Xiao was supposed to protect Liyue, he was also one of the biggest threats to others there was. What was even more silly to Xiao, was the fact that he still refused to push Chongyun away. 

It’s not as if Xiao would ever go out of his way to help humans. If they call out his name, he will come to their call, no matter how mundane the task at hand is. But, those interactions lasted for a few hours at most. Chongyun was a liability, and Xiao didn’t want to risk hurting him one day. Humans were a liability in general.

Xiao wasn’t human, not by a long shot, but there was still an inherently human trait that he had: selfishness. Believe it or not, the Adeptus actually enjoyed training Chongyun. Enjoyment was a luxury Xiao knew he, a weapon, didn’t deserve. Under different circumstances, Xiao would even go as far to say that he considered Chongyun a friend. But, these were not those circumstances, and there was still an apparent danger that came with just being around Xiao. 

Alas, the exorcist had shoehorned his way into Xiao’s life, and it was becoming more and more difficult to find a way to push him out of it. 

 So, the Vigilant Yaksha would be selfish, and he would continue to train Chongyun. Xiao knew he wanted to protect this human, by doing more than just keeping his distance facing the atrocities nobody else could. Whether or not this would be for the best could only be told by time. 

These musings plagued Xiao's mind for a good chunk of time, but eventually he focused back on what he was doing. Xiao could tell Chongyun’s exhaustion was starting to weigh on him. Each attempt at a hit was more messy than the last, and his constant taunts had become few and far in-between. That didn’t stop him from saying, “You seem to be getting tired, Xiao. I won’t put it past you if you want to stop now and admit defeat,” between tired pants. 

Xiao took a moment to look around when an opening arose. They were back beside the large tree Xiao had placed Chongyun under before. That in mind, he finally spoke. “Growing tired in a fight such as this would be absurd,” and if that was a subtle bash towards the exorcist, Xiao thought it justified all things considered. 

“I see, well I don’t think I’ll be giving in any time-” Before Chongyun could finish, Xiao finally made an offensive move and pushed Chongyun just hard enough to throw off his balance. From there, the adeptus ran towards the tree. The accent up the large plant was hasty, but Xiao was sure Chongyun saw him going up before he made it to a spot where he could sit without risk of falling.

“If you’re so insistent on fighting me, climb up here and finish things,” Xiao shouted towards the human. 

The adeptus could see Chongyun’s amused frustration even from so far away. “I bet you think you’re so tough being able to climb all the way up there. Well, you’re sorely mistaken if you think that can stop me!” He yelled back. 

As it turns out, Xiao’s intuition was correct, and Chongyun was far too tired to even make it three feet up the tree before falling back to the ground. That was a good thing in of itself, for if Chongyun would have been able to get up further before falling, the result could be bad, to say the least. Luckily, all of Chongyun's attempts to climb just resulted with him back on the ground within seconds, this however didn’t stop him from shouting the occasional insult up at his teacher. If it were anyone else, they would have probably found this amusing, but Xiao was just waiting until Chongyun tired himself out enough to give up. 

At the very least, this went to show that Chongyun was in good physical condition. Mentally, Xiao couldn’t say for sure. 

Some time passed when Xiao finally heard some word of resignation from his student. "Y’know, I think I’m gonna, uh,” even just yelling up at Xiao left him practically gasping for air. “I’m gonna take a break.” 

Within seconds, Chongyun plopped himself against the base of the tree. Xiao was on the ground a couple feet away from him in just as much time. “Oh so now you decide to come down,” the exorcist bit, out of breath. 

“I think my actions are reasonable considering that you have been attacking me for the past forty minutes, human,” Xiao remained standing as he said this, keeping a distance from Chongyun. 

Even in his exhausted state, that same out of character smirk highlighted Chongyun’s features. “Well, I suppose I was right when I said you would be a formidable opponent. So, I’ll yield and admit defeat for now, but if the chance arises, don't think I won't challenge to a rematch.”

Xiao crosses his arms once again, “That isn’t going to happen.” 

“Suit yourself, that will just give me the upper hand for a sneak attack.” With those words, Chongyun relaxed against the trunk of the tree and looked up at the sky. It was reaching the latter half of the afternoon by that point. Longer shadows painted the landscape, but this did nothing to quell the humid heat the day held. 

Xiao reveled in the silence, no longer disturbed by the petty taunts of Chongyun. It would be worth inquiring about that later, but it was less than likely that Xiao would get any comprehensible answer at that point. Taking a brief moment to assess Chongyun’s current state more thoroughly, something became clear to Xiao. 

Usually, the exorcist was rather quiet, and caught up in his own thoughts and ambition. It was a trait that allowed him to be a hardworking and determined person, but it was also a fault. From what Xiao had seen of Chongyun, he would get so caught up in his goals that he would forget that other things were just as important. Like eating, and other basic forms of self care for that matter. 

This was a fault that Xiao had as well, as brought to his attention by Venti amongst others. The difference was, Xiao didn’t need things like food or sleep, so neglecting the seemingly basic tasks wouldn’t hurt him. He had been alive for long enough to know of his weaknesses, even if he was yet to work through some of them. Chongyun was young, even by human standards. It was easy to assume that he wasn’t entirely aware of his weaknesses yet. 

But that’s the thing. Chongyun wasn’t his usual self at the moment. Rather than being overly thoughtful, it’s as if there wasn’t any reasoning to his actions. Everything was done impulsively, without care for the potential consequences. He seemed more carefree, and while that could certainly be a good thing, it is a steady slope that leads into the land of recklessness. His usual faults were reversed in a way, which was certainly odd. 

The moments of silent inquiry Xiao had taken were interrupted when he remembered what had happened right before this shift in behavior. While Chongyun seemed relatively okay, Xiao wasn’t going to let certain symptoms just blow over. 

“Chongyun,” he said, breaking the silence and catching his students' attention. “I need to check your temperature.” 

“Well I won’t stop you this time,” the younger replied with a chuckle. 

Xiao took a few steps so that he could kneel next to Chongyun. He slipped the glove off of his right hand, leaving the one with his vision embedded into it still on. The exorcist's cheeks had remained flushed since he had almost passed out, so that was cause for concern. Xiao pushed Chongyun’s hair out of the way as he placed the back of his hand on his forehead. 

Just as Xiao had suspected, he still felt concerningly warm. “Do you get fevers like this often?” 

“What?” Chongyun asked, genuine. Then, he seemed to draw some kind of conclusion. “Oh, not that I’m aware of. Guess I just run like a furnace or something, I don’t know.” 

Xiao hummed and brought his hand down to Chongyun’s neck. Chongyun just tilted his head slightly to the side as he did so. After Xiao found his student's pulse and felt it for a few moments, he concluded that nothing was wrong there. 

“You’re really fond of this whole, edgy brooding act aren’t you Xiao?” Chongyun teased and the adeptus moved his hand so that he could put his glove back on. “Like, I get that you need to be this strong, infinitely powerful protector of Liyue, but c’mon! You can lighten up every now and again, right?” 

Once again, Xiao only hummed. The words were something he was certain he'd heard from Venti before. This action caused Chongyun to giggle, “Oh man, you really can be hilarious even when you’re not trying to be.” Xiao was no expert on humor, but he was failing to see what exactly was so funny. 

“Anyways,” Chongyun yawned. “I think I’m going to finish that power nap that I tried to get earlier. I trust you won’t murder me in the mean time.” 

Xiao was still kneeling next to Chongyun. From there, we watched as the younger of the two slumped further down against the tree and closed his eyes. 

At that point, the adeptus wasn’t really sure what he should do. He couldn’t very well leave Chongyun alone like this. Any number of monsters or other threats could come around, and that was not a risk Xiao was willing to take. However long Chongyun was going to be asleep would ultimately prove inconsequential. Xiao had been alive for over two-thousand years. A few hours was nothing at all. 

Still, Xiao was a fan of productivity. So, in this time that he had, he figured he might as well do something worthwhile. Finally, he sat properly against the tree a few feet away from Chongyun. From there, he summoned a book, and examined the cover. 

It was an illustrated novel given to him by the human Hu Tao not too long ago. When she gave it to him, her typical smile held a bit more mischievousness to it than usual. Xiao still didn’t understand what the big deal was. It seemed like a relatively normal book, all things considered. The cover read ‘A Legend of Sword’, and was accompanied by two characters wearing more Mondstadt-esque attire. 

Xiao wasn’t huge on novels, but he had been meaning to read this one simply due to the way Hu Tao had treated it when she gave it to him. It was apparently some rare first edition copy, or something along those lines. The details didn’t really matter to the adeptus as he opened the book to it’s first page and began reading. 

It was around five in the afternoon when Chongyun woke up from his nap if Xiao’s evaluation of time was correct. He had just stirred at first, murmuring something ineligible in the process. This caught Xiao’s attention, but he just continued to read A Legend of Sword. The novel was interesting enough, but Xiao was yet to comprehend Hu Tao’s fixation on him reading it. 

“Archons, what happened?” A gruff sounding Chongyun asked while sitting up. He rubbed his eyes, and squinted due to the light when he tried looking around. 

Xiao cast away his book and turned to meet his students eyes, “I should be asking you the same thing.” 

Chongyun faced Xiao, one hand rubbing his forehead. His eyes looked normal again, the silted pupils appearing as they usually did. “What?” Was his response to Xiao’s words. 

That was worrisome, to say the least. “Earlier when you were training you pushed yourself too hard and I had to carry you away so you wouldn’t get hurt,” Xiao reminded Chongyun, but he was cut off before he could continue. 

“Oh, right,” Chongyun seemed kind of embarrassed, a hand reaching to rub the back of his neck. “I remember that. Did I just pass out afterwards?”

 “No,” Xiao answered, slight confusion in his tone. 

Chongyun froze momentarily before taking a breath. A tell-tale sign that he was distressed, but Xiao was not sure what he was so nervous about all of a sudden. It’s not as if he did anything horribly bad, a bit annoying albeit, but it wasn’t as if he had committed some terrible atrocity. That is what made Xiao a bit more on edge than before. 

“Can you tell me what happened?” Chongyun asked, deadly serious. That however, didn’t entirely mask the slight shake in his voice. 

“You almost passed out, but when you got up and seemed relatively fine,” Xiao began, not seeing any harm in explaining. “You tried walking away, and I had to stop you but then you thought I wanted to fight. I said I wouldn’t but then you tried fighting me anyways, although, nothing came of that. After a while, you tired yourself out and fell asleep.”

Chongyun’s eyes widened in near horror as Xiao recalled the events from that day, “I- '' The exorcist looked away, like Xiao was looking at him with all the disdain in the world. But that’s just the thing, he wasn’t. 

While it was abundantly clear Chongyun was upset, and even scared, Xiao couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. He’d never been all that good at dealing with human emotions, but the adeptus was certain this would prove puzzling to other humans. 

“Chongyun, is everything alright?” Xiao asked. His intention was to sound genuine, but it came out more harsher than that. 

The exorcist took another deep breath. “Aren’t you mad at me?” 

“What?” Xiao replied almost immediately. So here's the thing: for the most part, Xiao wasn’t big on expressing strong emotion. Partially because of the vulnerability that came with it, and partially because he didn’t feel a lot of strong emotions. Even still, the visceral and genuine confusion Xiao felt towards Chongyun’s question couldn’t not elicit a reaction as sudden as that one. 

“Well aren’t you!?” Chongyun snapped, whipping his head to meet Xiao’s eyes with his own. It wasn’t often that Chongyun would snap, as far as Xiao was concerned, so every time he did the adeptus was caught off guard. 

In his momentary surprise, Xiao tried to get a read on his students feelings, “Is there a reason I should be?” 

For a moment, Chongyun looked more confused than Xiao felt. “Yes! Didn’t I… Wasn’t I being a nuisance before? I mean, I tried to fight you? Don’t you find that disrespectful, or-or annoying? I don’t see why you wouldn’t be mad at me, I-” 

“I don’t think it’s your place to decide how I feel,” Xiao cut him off. Again, his words were harsher than he intended for them to be, but at least it got Chongyun to be quiet for a moment. “I’m not mad at you, and I see no rational reason as to why I would be. I will, however, ask for an explanation of your sudden change in behavior earlier.” 

The exorcist’s fear and anger quickly morphed into shame. Perhaps the reasoning was what made this affair so detrimental to Chongyun. However, Xiao knew no good could come from jumping to conclusions. He waited patiently for a response as Chongyun seemed to gather the courage to answer. Anyone could practically see the gears turning in his head as he settled on exactly what he wanted to say. 

Chongyun took one last deep breath. “Have you ever heard of a pure yang spirit?” 

It was a term Xiao was vaguely familiar with. Those with pure yang spirits were about as rare as rare could be according to legends.  In all his years, Xiao had yet to meet a person with this unique constitution, or so he thought. “Briefly, yes.” 

“Well, I have one. Although, the condition is also referred to as congenital positivity,” Chongyun explained. “It makes me more susceptible to heat, or things like spicy foods. Along with it comes impulsiveness, and strong emotions.” 

Well, that certainly explained some things. “Okay,” Xiao replied simply, sensing that Chongyun still had more to explain. 

And that he did, “These emotions and impulses can be quite the hindrance in day to day life, so I’ve gotten in the habit of suppressing them. Well, actually it’s not just the feelings that come with my congenital positivity, but the positivity itself as well. When I'm not able to suppress it, or when something sets me off, I have these… episodes.” 

A beat of silence followed as Chongyun continued to think of what to say. “During said episodes, I essentially black out and have no memory of what happens during them. In that state, I have little to no impulse control and have the tendency to make irrational decisions. It has led to a number of unfortunate situations in the past.” 

With all that being said, Xiao was able to make sense of some of Chongyun’s odd behaviors. At least he knew that there wasn’t some other much more dire reason for what had occurred earlier that day as well. This explanation did, however, leave Xiao with a question, “Do you usually keep this condition a secret?” 

Chongyun grimaced, “If I could have it my way, yes. However, it’s difficult to hide, as I‘m sure you’re now aware. Usually when I tell people, it’s so that they know of the danger. If they are aware of my condition, then they’ll be better equipped to take action in the event that I do something that could potentially hurt them when I’m not in control.” 

A pang of familiarity ran through Xiao with this explanation. The adeptus knew first hand how difficult if could be to suppress things of that nature, as well as all the difficulty it could cause on a day to day basis. While his own karmic debt and Chongyun’s yang energy were far different, but that didn’t change the fact that the adeptus could relate to the words on some level. Xiao was far from human, and he never would have imagined being able to see so much of himself in one. “I understand,” Xiao answered, because to an extent, he did. 

That left another thing unresolved, however. “Is there a reason you didn’t tell me about this condition?” Xiao wasn’t offended, far from it actually. Still, he wanted to know if there was any specific purpose to his student’s secrecy. 

Looking to the ground, Chongyun remarked, “I didn’t want you to think less of me because of my condition.” 

“Oh.” 

A beat of silence that felt far too long followed. 

“Do you remember the second time we met Xiao?” Chongyun questioned. Luckily, he seemed more calm then before. Now however, there was a bit more self pity in his tone. Xiao nodded before Chongyun resumed. “You asked me why I wanted you to train me, and I recall saying something about how I am an exorcist who has never seen an evil spirit before. This is also a result of my condition.” 

Xiao recalled that evening very well. Chongyun looked half dead, but there was still a reckless determination about him. He had told Xiao the reason he sought out the apprenticeship in the first place. Those were words the adeptus never failed to forget as he trained Chongyun.  

“What I failed to mention at the time was the reason I need you to train me.” For some reason, Xiao didn’t like where this was going. 

“My pure yang spirit drives all evil spirits away as soon as I get close. No work required to exorcise them. I worked as an exorcist, taking commissions throughout Liyue for quite some time. Until recently that is,” Chongyun’s expression morphed into something far more regretful. 

“My parents were unsatisfied with my methods of exorcism, even though I have no real control over it. If fact, I've tried to preform proper exorcisms on many, many occasions. For years I have been trying to suppress my condition, and even work around it for the sake of finally performing a real exorcism, but I’ve yet to see results. Even with all my training from past mentors, and what I taught myself, I still couldn’t do anything. I figured that if anyone would be able to teach me how to properly vanquish evil from this world, it would be you.

“Long story short, I didn’t want you to train me out of pity for a poor kid who couldn’t do something that anyone else could with a bit of time and effort. So, I didn’t tell you about my condition. I understand if you no longer want me to be your apprentice now, but I am willing to continue training if you’ll allow it.” 

In all honesty, Xiao didn’t know what to say. All he knew is that he had to say something. “Chongyun,” that caught the exorcist’s attention. “Something as insignificant as your condition wouldn’t have prevented me from training you, even if I knew of it from the beginning. Nor would it have caused me to pity you.” 

Looking at his student’s face, Xiao could tell he didn’t believe the words. “If I pitied you, I would have never considered the possibility of training you. In killing a Primo Geovishap on your own, you proved to be strong enough. That can’t be credited to some condition, and whatever reason you needed me to train you doesn’t matter. You wanted me to train you, and you put in the effort to make that happen.” 

There was still a twinge of disbelief in Chongyun’s eyes, and Xiao was having none of it. “Listen to me, Chongyun. I was willing to take you in as my student because you are strong enough for the training I prepare. The only reason I would consider stopping this training is if you continue to push yourself to the brink of unconsciousness on a daily basis. You’re strong enough, and it’s clear you don’t realize that you are.” 

Xiao’s tone was harsh, because he knew it had to be for his point to get across. Finally, it seemed to be working too. However, Xiao knew there was a lie hidden in his words, for if the day ever came where his karmic debt were to take over, he would push Chongyun as far away as possible in an instant. 

“I- I understand, Xiao. Thank you,” and Chongyun was sincere. Xiao was sure of it. 

The adeptus huffed, “Good, now,” this was an idea that had just popped into Xiao’s head, but he figured it was worth a shot. “Tomorrow for your training, I am going to see if I assist you in performing a proper exorcism. My decision on this is final, do you understand?” Chongyun nodded, eyes wide with surprise. “Now, for the more important matter at hand.” 

Xiao stood up. He’d been sitting for so long that it almost hurt his legs to do so at first, but soon enough he was used to it. From there, he turned and offered Chongyun a hand up. Unknowing of the meaning of the gesture Chongyun had attributed to it, Xiao was puzzled when he saw the shocked expression on the teens face. It had been like that for as long as Xiao could remember. Chongyun always seemed to falter when offered help standing up. It was a simple gesture, but perhaps humans felt differently. 

A moment of hesitation later, Chongyun took the offer and stood, and Xiao spoke once again. “You sustained several injures earlier when training. At this point, going to a healer won’t be as effective. I take it you’re still tired, yes?” A nod. “I will take you back to the Wangshu Inn, and Verr can help you patch them up. I have other matters to attend to.” 

As Xiao explained, he brought himself and Chongyun back to their usual meeting spot at the inn. “Get rested, and I can take you to a healer tomorrow. If you need anything, call out my name” 

Letting go of his students hand, Xiao summoned his polearm. While he wanted to make sure Chongyun didn’t somehow get himself killed in the next few hours, his duties never waited for anything. There was also much he needed to think about. 

That’s when Xiao heard a quiet, “really Xiao, thank you,” from the exorcist. After a huff of recognition, the adeptus was gone. 

Chapter Text

Chongyun wasn’t sure how to feel when left standing alone on the balcony of the Wangshu Inn. He felt a bit dazed, but that was probably more from his yang energy than anything. Despite it having worn off, it would still take until the next day for the effects to fade entirely. That however, wasn’t the only reason for this feeling. Chongyun was still in disbelief that Xiao hadn’t told him his apprenticeship was over the second he explained his yang energy to Xiao. 

Somehow, he felt a bit lighter, regardless of the anxiety. If Xiao was telling the truth, which seemed highly likely, Xiao wasn’t exactly the type to lie as far as Chongyun was concerned, then it just meant that the exorcist didn’t need to worry about accidentally revealing this big secret. If Chongyun could have had more of a say in the matter, he would have still kept the secret, but things played out a lot better than anticipated. 

One thing that Xiao had said to Chongyun that he was still having a hard time wrapping his head around was simply, ‘You’re strong enough.’ That had to be a lie, because Chongyun wasn’t strong enough. That’s why all of this started in the first place. While everything else that Xiao said seemed sincere, that one thing could in no way be the truth. 

He had definitely improved, sure, and Chongyun didn’t have too many doubts about Xiao’s faith in him - that however, didn’t mean there weren’t any. Nonetheless, Chongyun was sure that he could not be strong enough until he managed to have full control over his yang energy. 

 With all that said, Chongyun was hopeful for tomorrow. Who knows, maybe with Xiao’s help he would finally make real progress towards exorcising an evil spirit. In the time being, there was a more dire issue to be resolved. 

Chongyun still had injuries that needed attending to. As appealing as it sounded to contemplate things while dramatically staring off into the distance on a balcony, Chongyun knew it was only logical to let Verr help him attend to his wounds, as per Xiao’s request. 

He would concede and admit to being reckless even before his yang energy took over. A small part of Chongyun would be eternally grateful that Xiao hadn’t asked what set him off in the first place. 

After taking a deep breath to gather himself, Chongyun ventured down stairs to where Verr was usually stationed. She was busy talking with a customer, presumably to settle meal arrangements or to book a room for them. It would have been rude to interrupt, so the exorcist opted to stand out of the way until they finished up with their conversation. 

In that short while of waiting, Chongyun took the time to look himself over, and it did not look good. Sure, he’d sustained far worse injuries in the past, but that didn’t mean his new ones were nothing. He had cuts and scrapes all over, and as per usual, his clothes were ripped and stained red in some spots. 

I’ll probably need to get some more clothes from home soon, Chongyun reminded himself. He wasn’t sure how much longer his stay at the Wangshu Inn would be, but he certainly wasn’t eager to head back to the harbor and risk seeing his parents, among others, anytime soon. Silently, Chongyun prayed that Xinyan and Xiangling had already left the inn, or were leaving soon. 

Eventually, Chongyun heard the customer who was talking to Verr give their thanks and walk off. Taking that as his signal to approach her, he wasn’t really sure what to say. If there was any luck to be had, she wouldn’t be busy. 

“Um, hello Verr,” Chongyun greeted awkwardly as he neared the front desk. 

“Hello Chongyun, how may I help- oh my,” Verr interrupted herself after catching sight of the teen before her. “What happened?” 

Based on the knowledge he’d gathered, Verr probably knew that Xiao was training Chongyun. That in mind, he answered without much elaboration. “Training today got a bit out of hand.” 

“I can see that,” the boss commented. “I’m assuming you need help dealing with your wounds.” 

“Uh yes, if possible.” Chongyun gave a silent thanks to whatever deity had decided to take mercy on him. “Xiao said you’d be able to help, but if you’re busy I know enough first aid to take care of things myself.” 

Verr huffed and seemed to think something over, “It’s no issue. But, Yanxiao!” She turned her attention to the kitchen down stairs. 

“Yes!?” Chongyun heard a voice that he assumed belonged to Yanxiao. 

“I have something to take care of, call someone to man the front desk for me, would you?” Verr requested. 

“Sure thing boss!” 

With that, Verr faced Chongyun once again. “Sorry about that. Follow me, we have a first aid kit in the office.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

From there, Verr walked through the inn for a bit, and Chongyun followed close behind. He kept his eyes down, trying not to draw any unwanted attention, but it was difficult given his current disheveled appearance. Fortunately, there weren’t many visitors out and about, but those who were certainly didn’t spare Chongyun any concerned double takes. As he cursed people and their inherent distress towards teenagers who had just gotten the shit beaten out of them, Chongyun didn’t even realize that he and Verr had reached the office until he heard the sound of a door opening. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly did this happen?” Verr questioned while holding the door open for Chongyun. 

The office was pretty small, just a simple desk sat at the back wall. There was a large shelf on the left wall, littered with scrolls and other documents. The right wall had a window, currently behind curtains, as well as a small table with a potted plant on it. 

“It was extended combat training and I must have pushed myself a bit too far. That amongst other things,” Chongyun wasn’t actually sure if he hurt himself anymore then he already had in his attempts to fight Xiao, but it was safe to assume so. 

Verr sighed as she closed the door and wandered over to the desk to dig around for the first aid kit. “And you didn’t go to a healer, why?” 

“Oh, well Xiao figured I was too tired for any healing to be effective,” Verr hummed, but Chongyun knew there was another reason despite not being told. “I also kind of had to go to a healer yesterday as well.” 

Verr stood up properly and placed the newly found first aid kit on the desk. “I know Xiao is training you, but I never thought I’d see a human with as little self preservation capabilities as him.” That wasn’t exactly what Chongyun was expecting to hear. “Now, go ahead and sit on the desk, the most I can do is clean and patch up your injuries so they don’t get infected.” 

Complying to Verr’s request, Chongyun sat up on the desk, his back facing the boss. “Archons, how did you even manage this?” She asked more to herself than Chongyun. He however, knew exactly what she was talking about. 

There was a large gash across his back, spanning from about midway up his rips, down towards his right hip. He wasn’t entirely sure how he’d gotten that either. Based on Verr's reaction, it probably looked worse than it felt, or maybe Chongyun just had a higher pain tolerance than he gave himself credit for. 

Verr lifted up his overshirt a bit as a means to get a full perspective on the wound. “Chongyun, I’m going to have to ask you to take your shirt off so I can bandage this up.” 

“Alright,” the exorcist said. It still felt kind of odd to have Verr patching him up like this considering that the two didn’t know each other all that well, but Xiao trusted Verr, and that was about all the confirmation Chongyun needed on a person. Not to mention that Verr probably knew a bit about Chongyun from Xiao if she knew about the training. 

That being said, he first took off his light-weight overshirt and set it to the side with ease. It was significantly less easy to take off the skin tight shirt he wore under that. Some of the blood from Chongyun’s injury had made the fabric stick to his skin. Pulling off the garment definitely didn’t help the state of his cut, but at least it didn’t reopen- not that it was entirely closed in the first place. That notion still couldn’t stop the pained breath Chongyun let out as he pulled the shirt off. 

Verr sighed again, “Alright, let’s get this taken care of.” 

The boss got to work disinfecting the injury, and the room remained silent as she did so. Chongyun didn’t really know what he would have said if he wanted to talk. He really was exhausted, a feeling he’d grown far more used to recently. Before his apprenticeship with Xiao began, Chongyun was still active, going out looking for evil spirits, taking commissions and whatnot. Now however, he was out doing these large scale and very tiring activities on a day to day basis. 

It was for more of a hindrance before, but as time passed, Chongyun got more used to it. The excess effort he was putting in was allowing him to improve in ways that he wasn’t looking for, but certainly appreciated. Not only that, but Chongyun was certain that he’d become generally stronger in the time since he first sought out Xiao. 

After a short while, Verr pulled a roll of bandages out of the first aid kit and wrapped it around Chongyun’s torso. While doing this, she didn’t fail to notice the large scar placed above his left hip. “That must have been a treat to get,” she commented sarcastically. 

Looking down at the scar, Chongyun huffed. “I’m pretty sure I almost died because of it.” 

“What are you like, sixteen, seventeen? How many near death experiences have you had?” 

That was something Chongyun had to think about, and even then he couldn’t come up with a solid answer. “A lot, I’m not exactly sure.” 

“Well, I suppose that’s just what happens when you mix ambitions so strong that they’re recognized by the gods with teenagers who have weapons,” Verr joked. “Although, the same thing can be said for beings who are thousands of years old.” 

Chongyun realized Verr was talking about the fact that both he and Xiao had Visions, but what made him think more was her several comments about Xiao being reckless. That wasn’t a side that the exorcist had really seen of his teacher. Xiao always seemed to be thoughtful and strong, but even the best warriors would get injured from time to time, he supposed.

“Y’know, sometimes it alarms me how similar you two are,” Verr mentioned. “What’s even more surprising is how you even managed to get him to keep you around. Xiao is usually so adamant about keeping humans at a distance. I’m not sure what you did to make him train you, but archons, either he’s been replaced by an impostor, or you’re holding him hostage.” 

That earned a half hearted chuckle from the exorcist, “So I’ve been told.” 

“You probably already know, but once Xiao starts caring about someone, he’ll protect them with his life. So, I’d suggest that you don’t get yourself hurt like this very often to avoid stressing him out.” 

“I can hold my own in a fight,” Chongyun informed Verr, not wanting her to think that this was a regular occurrence, even though it was. Besides, he didn’t need protection. 

And then Verr laughed wholeheartedly. “Archons,” she breathed out. “You really are like Xiao.” 

Chongyun woke up the next day feeling, for lack of a better word, like shit. He hadn’t realized how horribly exhausted he really was until returning to his room the night before and passing out almost as soon as his body hit the mattress. Unfortunately, sometimes even undeniable tiredness couldn’t strive off bad sleep. 

That wasn’t to say that Chongyun hadn’t slept fine, but he’d certainly slept better. The injuries that still littered his body made it difficult to get comfortable, specifically the one on his back. Verr had done a fine job patching him up, but obviously that wouldn’t have the same effects as healing magic. Several times throughout the night, Chongyun was woken up by his own tossing and turning. Miraculously, he would always roll in some position that would be putting far too much pressure on his injuries. 

Nevertheless, Chongyun was ready to start another day, as groggy and sore as he was. Hopefully Xiao would keep his promise of bringing Chongyun to a healer, because the exorcist knew managing without one would be next to impossible. Worst case scenario, he would have to use one of the healing potions he still had left over. 

While they were effective, Chongyun did not want to relive the sensation of an injury opening and closing over and over again, no matter how short it would last. 

Chongyun hauled himself out of bed, and got ready as fast as his aching body would allow. The sun was yet to completely rise and light up Liyue at the time, it’s bright rays simply allowing for a light sky.  It took until the exorcist was sitting alone at his usual meeting spot with Xiao with a large iced coffee for him to feel a pang of anxiety in his chest. 

With a mix of all the ways Xiao would act now that he knew about Chongyun’s yang energy, and all the ways trying to exorcise an evil spirit with Xiao could possibly go wrong, could anyone really blame Chongyun for being a bit nervous. He was well aware of the fact that Xiao said his knowledge of the condition wouldn't change anything. Being anxious was irrational, but sometimes it really couldn’t be helped. 

What really worried him was that this new plan was one born out of pity. A small voice in the back of Chongyun’s mind told him that Xiao was going to become like all the other failed instructors that mainly focused on his yang energy rather then actually training him in a way that counted. The exorcist could only pray that wasn’t going to end up being true. 

Taking a shaky breath, Chongyun grimaced at his already half drunk coffee. In retrospect, perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to get a large. Then again, he’d already started it, and it would be a waste of mora not to drink the whole thing. Anxiety be damned, Chongyun was tired and needed the energy. 

 Before he could reason with himself further, seized the glass holding his ice cold beverage. Without much thought, he brought the drink to his lips and chugged the remainder.  

“I understand you might be tired, but archons,” He heard Xiao say as he finished off the coffee. 

Chongyun took a short gasp for air as he set the glass down, and wiped his face with the back of his hand. “You’re here rather early,” he noted as he stood to face Xiao, taking the time to stretch in the process. The exorcist clung to the normalcy in an attempt to shake off the nervousness plaguing his mind. 

“And so are you,” Xiao took a few long strides, touched Chongyun’s shoulder, and brought them somewhere the latter didn’t recognise right away. While Xiao was often efficient, this felt rushed even for his standards. 

The silence had little time to linger when Xiao stepped forward, and rang a bell that was sat on a front desk of some kind, twice for good measure too. The adeptus took a step back and stood beside Chongyun while they waited. 

“Welcome to the Bubu Pharmacy, are you in need of medical care?” A vaguely familiar voice spoke. Then, a tall figure with long green hair and a snake around his neck stepped into view. This figure was recognized by Chongyun as Baizhu. 

If he was suddenly more anxious knowing that he was in the Bubu Pharmacy, with the possibility of someone he knew walking in at any time, he wouldn’t have time to think about it. For almost as soon as Baizhu had asked, Xiao gave Chongyun a light shove forwards and said, “Heal him.” 

“Oh, is something urgent?” The doctor seemed a bit more alert than before, while still maintaining a calm disposition. 

Chongyun waved his hands in front of him, a forced smile on his face, “No, no. It’s nothing that needs your immediate attention if you’re busy right now.” 

“He’s injured,” Xiao offered, a little too aggressively given the circumstances. 

It was times like this where Chongyun was reminded that his teacher had little to no social skills. Not that the teen was all too proficient in terms of talking to people, but most could be considered experts in the act next to Xiao. 

Baizhu gave a small amused smile. “Alright, I’ll take care of it. Follow me to the back room.” The instruction was directed towards Chongyun, and the exorcist didn’t hesitate to comply. As he moved from where he was standing, Xiao remained in place. There was a slightly threatening aura to him, and Chongyun just assumed that this was how he acted around people who he didn’t know. 

“Now,” Baizhu began as he and Chongyun entered a small room, “Can you tell me what happened?” 

Baizhu took little time in healing Chongyun, he was experienced in his field after all, so of course it would be easy. What was not easy was trying to explain to the doctor just why Chongyun was injured.  This was in part due to the exorcist’s adamancy towards keeping his apprenticeship a secret. The real issue however, was the simple fact that Chongyun had half a brain for any social situation. 

At least he could assure himself that he was better with people then Xiao. It was the small victories sometimes. In light of these new discoveries, Chongyun still couldn’t quite make sense of how rushed Xiao seemed to be that day. 

Perhaps he just wanted to get Chongyun to a healer as fast as possible, or maybe he just wanted to get it over with. The reason held no purpose in the grand scheme of things, but could one blame Chongyun for being a bit curious? 

After Baizhu finished healing him, Chongyun was brought back out to the front room. As soon as Xiao saw them, he just left a bag of mora on the counter, and grabbed Chongyun’s wrist. He was barely able to let out a quick, ‘thank you’ to Baizhu before they were gone. 

Contrary to what Chongyun thought, they weren’t back at the Wangshu Inn. Rather, they were in the equally familiar area he recognized as Wuwang Hill. The dark haze that coated the mountain and never seemed to leave, despite the weather made it unmistakable. The so-called chill that was said to run down people’s spines wherever they were there always seemed to evade Chongyun. The reason why was an easy bet. 

Xiao let go on Chongyun’s wrist, and turned to face his student directly. “You said you have yet to see an evil spirit, let alone exorcise one, correct?” Xiao implored. 

“Yes, and you said you’d try and help me exorcise something today,” Chongyun answered, still very skeptical of his teacher’s intentions. Overall, he’d been acting a bit differently than usual and it put the exorcist on edge. Chongyun still placed a bit of faith in Xiao, hoping that maybe me really was just trying to help Chongyun achieve something that he’d been striving towards for years. 

Xiao nodded, “And I intend to keep my word.” With a small grimace, he looked around. “I assume you’ve been to Wuwang Hill before, and know of the abundance of spirits that reside here.” 

Chongyun gave an affirmative nod. He had been to the mountain too many times to count. In fact, the only person who could rival his number of visits was Hu Tao. There was always some issue with an evil spirit running around, and Chongyun was the first on tha case. As one would expect, it never ended up being any different than usual. 

“My knowledge on exorcisms is limited, but I have had to perform them in the past,” Xiao offered as he stepped forwards and further surveyed the area. “I feel like there should be… more signs of spirits around here.” 

“I’ve been told similar things before,” Chongyun remarked with a sigh. 

Without looking at Chongyun, Xiao seemed to ponder something. “What is the extent of your yang energy’s reach?” 

That was something Chongyun didn’t have an exact answer to. He knew it was fairly far, but not far enough to be absurd, or in this context, not far enough to affect the whole of Wuwang hill. “No more than a square mile, but probably less than that. It’s far enough that if I were to enter a house that an evil spirit was residing in, it would flee from the vicinity by the time I got there.” 

Xiao gave a thoughtful hum, “Wait here.” Within an instant he was gone, not giving Chongyun a moment to ask about where he was going. 

He sighed, not sure what elaborate scheme his teacher had planned. He hoped that whatever was, it would work. If not, well the day was still young. Chongyun was still set of exorcising an evil spirit one day, and that day could very well be upon him. He still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. 

The exorcist waited. As per-expected, nobody was out and about at Wuwang hill other than him and Xiao, if he was even still there. Henceforth, nobody was there to bear witness to Chongyun awkwardly standing around. Except for the abundance of spirits that were classified as ‘evil,’ that got to hang around. These spirits however, didn’t get up to all that much. 

The stillness of the situation would leave most who were in Chongyun's situation uneasy. Being abandoned in a place so atmospherically unsettling. Any slight breeze at Wuwang hill would carry a ghostly whistle, and it was always uncharacteristically cold for Liyue, no matter the time of year. Shadows appeared to be things they were not, and strange noises could almost constantly be heard. 

None of this affected Chongyun in the slightest, not just because of his yang energy, but because he was so desensitized to the idea of evil spirits. He was more than prepared for the day when he would face one head on. That still didn’t mean that he thought he was the best he could be. No, even before all the drama with his parents, he was still working to improve on all fronts. 

Being prepared to face any evil spirit didn’t mean that one could be the best exorcist in all of Liyue, after all. What Chongyun lacked in field experience, he knew he had to make up for in his own way, so that’s just what he would continue to do. In the event that this would not work out, it would still be fine because with Xiao as teacher, he was still growing stronger. 

The intentions were what he was worried about. In the event that Xiao really was acting so differently just because he knew about Chongyun’s condition, well he wouldn’t know what to do. 

Speak of the devil, Chongyun felt the now unmistakable breeze that signified that Xiao had returned. “What the-” The adeptus spoke, alerting the exorcist to look in his direction. He was met with the sight of Xiao looking at his hands, and then looking around, thoroughly puzzled. 

“Is everything okay Xiao?” Chongyun said, as prompted by his teacher's actions. 

The adeptus met Chongyun’s eyes, a hint of astonished confusion painting his features. “I tried to bring an evil spirit here from several miles away so you could exorcise it.” 

The exorcist failed to see how that was relevant to his question. “And?” He pushed. 

“ And , when I came back here it was gone,” The adeptus clarified, half hearted annoyance lacing his tone. 

“Oh,” as disappointed as Chongyun was, he couldn’t say he was surprised. 

Xiao looked around once again, an odd sense of determination about him. “I’m going to try again, don’t leave.” 

“Wait Xiao-” Once again, the adeptus left before Chongyun could say anything. Not knowing what else to do, he waited.

A short time passed, and Xiao was back in the same confused state as before. “Your yang energy seems to be more powerful than I anticipated,” he admitted, scanning the area yet again. 

“Even when I put in more effort to suppress it, I get similar results,” Chongyun said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe you could try again, but rather than coming straight back here, you could bring the spirit a bit further away and walk it over? And wait, how does one just… grab an evil spirit?” 

“That plan seems plausible. In regards to your other question, bear in mind that I’m not human. I’m unaware if humans have the same capabilities as me, but some evil spirits have more of a physical form then others. It’s just a matter of finding those ones and capturing them,” that explanation did make quite a bit of sense. 

From what Chongyun could recall, he’d seen Hu Tao interact with a number of spirits. Namely one small ghost that seemed to be a companion of some kind. It was highly likely that this spirit wasn’t evil considering the fact that well… Chongyun had seen it. It also aligned with the research he’d done. 

“Alright,” Chongyun still had one thing troubling him. “Is it not dangerous to do this? I mean, you don’t need to put yourself in harm's way for the sake of helping me perform an exorcism.” 

“I’ve fought and killed countless horrific demons in my lifetime, Chongyun. These spirits don’t stand a chance against me,” Xiao deadpanned. 

That was a little detail that Chongyun seemed to have forgotten. “Duly noted,” he said as Xiao vanished once again. 

Another short while of waiting passed, when Chongyun heard his name called in the distance. 

He turned in the direction of the call, but nothing was visible. It was just the empty path that led down Wuwang hill. “Xiao!” He shouted, just in case. 

“I’m trying to bring it over but-” A small surprised shout momentarily interrupted his words. “Archons, this thing is fucking stubborn!” 

Chongyun could only imagine what these words entailed. A hilarious, but unlikely interpretation was that Xiao was trying to wrestle an evil spirit into getting closer to Chongyun. Regardless of the circumstances, the exorcist wanted to help, but at the same time he didn’t want to cause problems. “Should I come over!” He suggested, continuing to yell. 

A moment of silence was followed by Xiao calling, “Hold on! I’m going to try something!” In a strained voice. There was another pause, then louder than before Chongyun heard, “You useless fucking piece of shit!” 

The more Chongyun got to know Xiao, the more the adeptus surprised him. For instance, never in a million years would he have believed Xiao to swear as much as he did if he hadn’t heard it first hand. That aside, Chongyun was still a bit concerned for his teacher’s sake. “Xiao, you’re not hurt are you!” He called out. 

Xiao then appeared right in front of Chongyun, an unpleasant looking scrape now on his cheek. “I believe we need to try another method,” he stated, sounding far more professional and composed than just moments before.

“I wouldn’t be opposed, but if you don’t think it will work then you really shouldn’t worry about helping-” 

“We’ve hardly been here forty minutes,” Xiao cut him off. “Giving up now would be a foolish decision.” 

Chongyun wanted to protest, but he would be a bit of a hypocrite if he did so. He’d worked for countless hours doing a number of irrational things for the sake of exorcizing a spirit. Who was he to throw in the towel so quickly? 

“Alright, do you have any other ideas?” Chongyun asked. 

Xiao pondered this for a moment. “What have you done to suppress your condition in the past?” 

Now that was something the exorcist could go on about for hours, but one thing in particular came to mind. “Well, keeping myself cool by eating things like popsicles keeps it at bay on regular occasions. In more… In extreme circumstances, I’ll try to lower my body temperature for long periods of time to suppress it.”

“By what means?” Xiao seemed skeptical. 

One particular occasion came to mind. “Well, once I sat in a lake in Dragonspine for half a day in nothing but a t-shirt and pants, waiting for an evil spirit to appear.” 

“You what?” If Chongyun didn’t know any better- well maybe he didn’t at this point -he would have sworn Xiao sounded protective as he spoke, rather than just angry. 

“Well, in retrospect that wasn’t the best idea,” Chongyun then recalled the raging fever he had for a long time after that occasion. “It wasn’t even effective, so it’s obviously not the best route to take.” 

Judging the expression on Xiao’s face, it was clear he didn’t approve of these actions. Which was fair, whenever Chongyun recounted that story to people they always seemed to look at him like he was crazy. But, he firmly believed there was a line between determination and insanity that he was yet to cross. Besides, people needed to learn from their mistakes. Not Chongyun knew that sitting in ice cold water for extended periods of time wouldn’t work to discount the effects of his congenital positivity. 

“There are other things that I’ve thought about trying,” the exorcist elaborated, trying to dig himself out of this awkward hole. “For instance, pretty much anything stimulating sets of my condition to some extent, so perhaps intense meditation would allow an evil spirit to get near me.” 

Xiao still seemed at a loss for words, but eventually he came around. “Anything that isn’t you sitting in a freezing lake for twelve hours.” 

For many hours, Xiao and Chongyun tried various unconventional methods to get an evil spirit within a hundred feet of the latter. Alas, nothing was effective, but was that really unexpected? Everything from the suggested meditation, to teleporting Chongyun to areas Xiao swore were infested with evil spirits, and even to Chongyun’s past methods of keeping himself cold. At one point they tried mixing all three amongst other things, but still, nothing worked. 

Over the course of the morning, Xiao seemed to be getting more frustrated than Chongyun. Each attempt being more frantic then the last, and the teen still couldn’t pinpoint quite why. Maybe he was just so used to the disappointment that it didn’t really have much of an impact on him. He knew that he would still try again at some point anyways. 

The pair was right next to the ‘border,’ that supposedly separated life and death. Chongyun was already a bit tired, taking the chance to sit down and catch his breath. Meanwhile, Xiao was pacing back and forth, presumably deep in thought. “Is it just a matter of the spirit’s evil nature? If I can find a pretty bad, but not quite evil spirit, you could still have the chance to exorcise it.” 

He had mumbled several things similar to that over the past ten or so minutes. 

“Xiao,” Chongyun said, remaining where he sat. This snapped Xiao out of his thoughts, and he stopped pacing to face his student. “I appreciate your efforts, really. But, can I ask why you seem so determined to assist me with this matter? You’ve already helped me improve in a number of fields that aren’t directly related to exorcism, and no failures in those fields elicited a reaction like this. And while exorcism is important to me, it’s not the end of the world if I can’t exorcise something right this instant.” 

Xiao huffed, “I’ve been alive for a long time, and I find it hard to believe that there is no way to work around your condition.” 

The exorcist’s expression morphed into something more curious in response. “I agree, but your demeanor is a bit… different than usual today. I just don’t understand why this is a matter you need to stress more than others.” 

“You said it’s important to you, did you not?” Xiao snapped, catching Chongyun off guard. 

“Well yes, but-” 

“You sought me out because you needed to become strong enough to suppress your yang energy.” Xiao stated. “With all the effort you’ve put into the other tasks I’ve given you, why should this not be at the top of the list of priorities? You told me why you needed this apprenticeship, and I plan to deliver on that.” 

And there it was. The very thing Chongyun feared most: Xiao treating him differently now that he knew the full story, well for the most part. He would be lying if it didn’t hurt. It hurt a lot actually. More than he would ever care to admit.  From day one, Chongyun felt like he was actually going to have a chance to do something different, he felt like Xiao was his chance to have a mentor who would actually help his progress, regardless of his condition. 

So, maybe he felt a bit impulsive. Chongyun stood up and just hoped he wasn’t about to fuck everything up again. He just knew that he had to say something, because if he didn’t what else would there be to do? Break down? Not if anyone was around to witness it. A small part of Chongyun tried to be reasonable and say that maybe he was misinterpreting things. Maybe this was just that so-called protectiveness coming into play. No matter what the intentions were, Chongyun just wanted to try and stop this before it could carry on for more than a day. 

“Xiao, I feel you're failing to remember why I wanted you to train me.” 

“You told me that the work you’ve put in all your life has held no results, were you not referring to your condition then?” Xiao questioned, genuine. 

“Yes! But- but that’s… I was talking about more than that,” this was not the kind of thing Chongyun thought he would have to open up about, but it seemed he might have to. 

It was odd to see how blatantly confused Xiao seemed. “What else could you have been talking about?” 

“I-” Chongyun let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ve been training on my own for years, Xiao. And… no matter what I do, even if it has nothing to do with exorcisms, it’s still not good enough. The point of you training me was so that I wouldn’t have a teacher who just focused on my yang energy for once, and all the ways I need to suppress it. 

“I know I said I didn’t want to tell you about my condition because I didn’t want you to judge me, and that’s still true. It’s just…” Chongyun clenched his fist in a half-assed effort to keep his composure. “I wanted you to treat me like I was normal, and not go out of your way to do this sort of thing. I’ve done enough of this on my own time and it hasn’t worked, so I just thought that being trained normally would allow me to really improve for once.” 

Xiao still seemed unbelievably confused, which was so weird. For so long Chongyun wouldn’t dare question a single thing he did, just because he was the Adeptus Xiao. While his knowledge was still incredible, and he had plenty of insight in other areas, it was becoming more and more clear that maybe he didn’t know everything. He was far from human, that’s something the exorcist could never forget, but perhaps that applied to more than just his uncanny strength. 

And yet, Chongyun couldn’t find it in himself to be mad. Even when it was clear Xiao didn’t understand his feelings. 

“I- Just forget it. I know you’re just trying to train me. But… Please just don’t change the way you’ve been doing things because you know about my condition,” Chongyun was looking for some kind of reaction from Xiao, but he still seemed lost. “Everything that you’ve done to train me so far has helped me more than any other teacher has. That’s why I-.” 

“I apologize for my actions,” Xiao cut in.

Chongyun blinked, “What?” 

“I misjudged what you had said to me, and I apologize for taking the wrong actions,” he clarified. “Human… Human emotions are far out of my realm of understanding. My goal was to help you improve, as you’ve asked of me so far. Clearly, this didn’t lead to anything productive. So, I apologize, Chongyun.”

“You don’t need to-” 

“Don’t make excuses for my wrongdoings. It’s clear this has affected you. So, I’ll refrain from doing anything differently than I normally would,” Xiao’s tone was serious, but still held sincerity. “It would be a waste of time if I did.” 

Chongyun wasn’t quite sure how to react. Maybe it was due to all the other drama with his friends recently, but he wholeheartedly expected Xiao to lash out due to his uncalled for words. Yet he didn’t. Even though he didn’t understand, he was willing to just admit to being wrong? No Questions asked?

It was silent for a moment as Chongyun tried to make sense of things. “Thank you,” was all he could manage to say. 

Because Xiao just gave it up like it was nothing. A pang of something hard to place rang through Chongyun. While he was still hurt, there was something that now felt undeniable. Xiao cared about Chongyun, and for once the latter didn’t doubt this. 

It was hard to wrap his head around, and maybe this realization was horrifying. Chongyun had been trying to cut things off with those he cared about, and those who cared about him. That’s what he needed to do to become stronger, for the sake of protecting them. It was hard to imagine that someone really wanted to protect him. Someone who he wouldn’t push away, because it felt like something Xiao would let him do for the sake of his student, not because he didn’t care. 

“Chongyun?” The exorcist heard Xiao say. 

The exorcist blinked and looked around only to see that they were back at the Wangshu Inn. “Oh, what? Sorry.” 

“You can take the day to rest, and I’m going to begin teaching you the basics of using a polearm tomorrow,” Chongyun could only assume Xiao was repeating himself. 

“Alright um,” a beat of silence. “Thank you, again.” 

“There’s no use repeating yourself, Chongyun.” 

“Okay but really, I mean it. Thank you for everything,” Xiao just rolled his eyes, the faintest hint of a smile on his face. It was hardly even noticeable, but it was impossible to deny the fondness he clearly felt. 

“I know.”

Chapter Text

Chongyun found himself standing on a beach in Liyue, waiting for Xiao to return after dropping him off and leaving. It wouldn't be first time, so he was less worried about being abandoned then before. At least if Xiao did plan on leaving Chongyun to fend for himself, they were in Liyue this time. The adeptus was supposed to begin teaching Chongyun the basics of using a polearm that day. Rather than it being morning as it usually was when training began, it was late afternoon, bordering on evening. Earlier that day, Chongyun had received word from Verr that Xiao had other matters to attend to that morning, so there he was. 

After yesterday's fiasco, and that of the day before yesterday, Chongyun took the extra free time for some much needed rest. It was hard for him to realize how exhausted he had become until he had nothing to do for roughly twenty four hours. That time was filled with mundane tasks, such as tidying up his room at the inn, which didn’t take all too long considering how little time Chongyun actually spent there. The bill was becoming a bit worrisome however, and Chongyun considered asking Xiao or Verr for a way to work around that if he needed to keep staying at the inn for training. He felt bad, but it seemed Xiao had a surplus of mora that was hardly even used, so asking for some level of finical assistance didn't feel like the worst thing in the world.   

On time off, while not calculating the expenses of his extended stay at the Wangshu Inn, Chongyun did his best to pass the time. Now, he was patiently waiting to begin another training session. While waiting for Xiao, the exorcist silently thanked the archons that Xiao seemed to be acting like his usual self as promised. That festering dread that had pooled in his stomach over the past day and a half was finally going away, and Chongyun had a good feeling that things were going to work out from there on. 

After a short while, Xiao appeared holding a simple spear in his left hand. “This weapon should suffice for the time being. We’re the same height, so I went off of that when selecting this.” 

“With all due respect, Xiao,” Chongyun began, hoping this wouldn’t hit a nerve and get him killed somehow. This was unlikely, but there was always reason to exercise caution on the basis of height. “I believe I am a bit taller than you.” 

This seemed to catch the adeptus off guard, like he’d never noticed this little fact before. He looked at Chongyun for a moment, directing his gaze to the top of Chongyun's head. With a slight annoyed squint he said, “The difference is insignificant.” 

If Chongyun had to stifle back a laugh, he wouldn’t admit it, and Xiao didn’t say anything about it. He just huffed and shoved the spear in Chongyun’s direction for him to grab. Upon taking hold of the weapon, it was lighter than the exorcist expected. Courtesy of Xiao, he’d become more accustomed to using a lighter weapon and adapting to them, Chongyun knew from the get go that this would be different. Using a god forsaken tree branch as a stand in claymore was far different from using a weapon that was intended to be lighter. 

Xiao said he’d be learning the basics of using a polearm today, but exactly how much was he planning on teaching Chongyun in the long run? That was the real question. 

As the exorcist contemplated these things, he also noted that his provided weapon was much more simple then the one Xiao used. It had a simple metal tip, and a blue handle. When compared to Xiao's own jade spear, it was hard to believe they were similar weapons at heart. Even if the sharpness of a proper polearm was a concern, it still confused Chongyun as to why he needed something so simple. Perhaps the basics needed a basic weapon the be learned, just for aesthetic effect.  

“Have you ever used a polearm before?” Xiao asked while Chongyun was examining the polearm in his hands. 

“Oh, no. I haven't,” Chongyun answered, now refocused. 

“Other than myself, do you know anyone who can use one?” 

Luckily enough for Chongyun, he knew not just one, but four whole people other than Xiao who could use polearms. Well, to his knowledge anyways, and that was excluding the millelith who patrolled Liyue Harbor. “Yes, why do you ask?” 

“I’m sure you’re aware that those proficient with just about any weapon end up with a unique fighting style after enough refinement,” Chongyun nodded along as Xiao explained. “My fighting style has been adapted over years of war to be as efficient as possible. The goal is for you to learn enough to begin crafting your own fighting style with a polearm if you see fit. However, this is a long way off. You need to learn the basics before you can even dream of such a thing.” 

With another affirmative nod, Chongyun answered, “I understand.” The grip he had on the new weapon grew tighter with his hopefully disguised enthusiasm. Archons forbid he showed his passion about something. It wasn’t necessarily the fact that he was learning how to use a polearm that got him amped up, no, Chongyun was perfectly satisfied with his claymore. It was more so the fact that he was going to learn something completely new. 

His excitement was also, in part, due to Xiao acting normally. Well, less excitement there, more just relief. Things were going to be just fine, or at least that’s what Chongyun liked to tell himself. 

“Then we shall begin,” Xiao started slowly pacing in front of the exorcist. “Hit the stance that you normally would when holding your claymore,” he instructed. 

Chongyun did just that. He planted his left foot forwards, and brought his right back. Hitting the stance took little to no thought, although the teen was at a loss for what to do with the polearm in his hands. He just held it lazily in front of him for the time being, hoping that he would get instructions. 

With a halt in his pacing, Xiao approached Chongyun and corrected this. He moved Chongyun’s hands so that his left one was forwards on the polearm, and adjusted the angle at which he held the weapon. As he did this, he said, “You’ll see more experienced fighters such as myself hold polearms in one hand at their side. It is, however, important to learn a more proper stance before using a casual one.” 

Afterwards, the adeptus stepped away so that he was standing a few feet in front of Chongyun on the beach. The sand sank less than one would expect under Xiao’s light footsteps. After a moment, he summoned his own intricately designed polearm, and hit the same stance as Chongyun. 

“Just do as I do, and you can make corrections later,” Xiao informed. Looked his student in the eye for confirmation that he was ready. Once he got this, he faced forwards, and did a simple stabbing motion with his weapon. Chongyun copied as per instructed. 

Over the course of a few minutes, Xiao did several very simple and similar actions to his first one. Almost too simple for Chongyun’s liking. While he would admit that he had little to no idea what he was doing with a polearm, he was still a skilled fighter. Starting off so simple felt unnecessary, but he kept such qualms to himself as he continued to copy his teacher’s movements. Xiao's ability to use his own weapon was impressive by most people's standards, so Chongyun was not to keen on questioning his means of teaching 

“Do what I just showed you again,” Xiao offered as he walked back towards Chongyun.

And so he did, trying to ignore the subtle nervousness Xiao’s tentative gaze brought forth. At the end of the day, Chongyun just didn’t want the silent scrutiny that would come if he messed up something so simple. Even if Xiao were to try and be nice about it, he still didn’t want to fail. Much to Chongyun’s relief, Xiao’s expression didn’t change much from how it usually was as he did the simple stabbing motions he had just learned. 

Xiao huffed, “Your form is far from bad, all things considered, but you need to fix how you grip your weapon, look.” Chongyun stood there and allowed Xiao to adjust his hands, working efficiently with seemingly little care put into the actions. “Now, do those moves one hundred times each.” 

This seemed like a reasonable request until Chongyun let it sink in. “Wait, what!?” He blurted out without a second thought. 

“Yes, repetition will allow these moves to become muscle memory,” the adeptus replied curtly. 

Chongyun conceded not seeing much use in arguing, because Xiao had a point. This was far from an impossible task, after all. In fact, it probably just sounded difficult in theory.  At least the polearm in his hands wasn’t heavy. Yeah, this would be fine. So, Chongyun gave Xiao a brief nod, and got to work.  

Turns out, it was hard. About an hour had passed since Xiao told Chongyun to stab the air a couple hundred times, and the latter was starting to feel the effects of this weighing on him. If his hands weren’t already calloused from years of training with a weapon, then blisters surely would have formed. While the weight of the polearm in his hands wasn’t straining him, the still new moves he’d been instructed to do had strained his muscles more than Chongyun would have anticipated. 

Xiao stood and watched from a distance the whole time, occasionally calling out corrections when the exorcist’s form faltered. Chongyun was growing tired, to say the least. At least with the sun growing lower on the horizon, it made it cooler. It's not like stopping to eat a popsicle was much of an option anyways. Although, it seemed like Chongyun was eating them less as of late. Nevertheless, the conditions were easy enough to manage, but combined with the burning of his muscles, Chongyun was beginning to worry he wouldn’t be able to finish his task. 

He had tried to count how many times he’d done each move Xiao had shown him, but to no avail. He was lucky to have an adamantly observant teacher, because Xiao took the liberty of reminding him when he’d finished one hundred of a move. That being said, the teen had long since forgotten how close he was to finish stabbing the air. All of his focus was now directed on keeping the correct form. Keep your feet planted in the right spot, don't et your hands shift out of position, make sure your elbow doesn't stick out. All corrections Xiao had given him, amongst others. 

Chongyun was sure he was almost done with this tedious training, right? Right. 

Repetition was key to forming muscle memory, Xiao had told him this, and Chongyun knew that from experience. These were the basics, they shouldn’t be that hard. If this was pushing his limit, then he would have no chance at learning anything else. 

Caught up in the nuances of his form, Chongyun jolted in surprise when a gloved hand grasped the polearm still in his hands. “Chongyun, you’re done,” Xiao spoke, now looking his student in the eye. 

Oh." Okay... cool,” the teen breathed out, taking breaths in between his words as he stood normally. He hardly noticed how much his legs hurt from holding a stance for so long, even if it was similar to the one he held while wielding a claymore. “Thank you for keeping track for me.” 

“It was more important that you got things correct then keeping track of how many times you did them,” Xiao’s tone was slightly lighter than usual, and Chongyun couldn’t place why. In the process of speaking, he took the polearm out of Chongyun’s hands, and cast it away. “You can take a break for now, I will be back momentarily.” 

With a sigh of relief, Chongyun thanked Xiao and looked for a place to sit and take a break for the time being. On the other hand, the adeptus teleported away to do archons know what. Chongyun shrugged this off, now completely accustomed to Xiao's teleportation abilities. In his investigation to find a resting spot, he settled on a tree that stood near the beach. It was as good a spot as any to sit and take a short break, so he strolled over and plopped down next to it. 

In that moment, Chongyun didn’t find himself thinking of much at all, which was a rare occurrence for the exorcist. There was always so much to worry about, but none of that seemed entirely relevant at the moment. For one, Chongyun was tired from the day's training thus far, but not tired enough to prevent continuation. Almost all the anxiety over the validity of Xiao's promise to treat him normally, and not let Chongyun's condition cloud his judgment had dissipated. Things were going to be normal again, and Chongyun was eternally grateful that Xiao was keeping his word. 

In that moment, sitting under a tree on a beach he only vaguely recognized, with the sun setting, and a cool breeze hitting his face, Chongyun would go as far as to say he was content. It wasn’t something he had felt in a long while, and sure, there was still a lot that he could be worrying about in regards to his personal life, but sometimes it was nice to just forget your troubles, even if only for a moment. Chongyun was simply taking a break so that he could have the energy to continue training when Xiao returned, nothing more, nothing less. 

As Chongyun sat, he recalled that he had an aunt who wielded a polearm, held a cryo vision, and also happened to be an exorcist, Shenhe. It was a bit ironic the similarities between the two, but what really stood out in Chongyun’s mind was this question: Did Shenhe know Xiao? The young exorcist wouldn’t put it past the two to know each other considering that Shenhe knew the other adepti. Not to mention that she was literally raised by them. 

It was odd that Chongyun hadn’t thought of mentioning Shenhe to Xiao before, almost like she wasn’t present enough in the current canon for him to even have a coherent thought about his aunt until that moment. But that was ridiculous, Chongyun had known (of) Shenhe for years. 

Such conundrums had to be set to the side in Chongyun’s mind, for in the distance he saw Xiao reappear. The adeptus looked around for a second before spotting Chongyun and wandered over. 

“Are you hungry?” He asked indifferently. 

It was only then that Chongyun noticed the take out bag from Wangshu Inn that Xiao was carrying at his side. “I could eat,” he answered. 

“Good,” Xiao proceeded to push his free hand into the bag, pulling out a container, and then handing it to Chongyun. “I’m unaware if you are familiar with this dish, but it’s another item off of the Inn’s menu that I can tolerate. I had it altered to fit your tastes,” the adeptus then reached into the bag again and fished out a pair of chopsticks for his student. 

“Thank you,” Chongyun gratefully took the meal offered to him as Xiao shuffled over and sat against the tree next to the former. 

As he opened up his dish, Chongyun was met with an unfamiliar sight, but it looked good enough. With a quick sniff, just to be sure it wasn’t spicy, he brought the chopsticks in his right hand forth. It was pretty good, but as Chongyun continued to eat, he didn't fail to notice Xiao eating his own meal. Of course, it was that famed Special Almond Tofu. 

With this realization, Chongyun opened his mouth without thinking. “Is only eating almond tofu a sustainable diet?” 

It was only when Xiao began to reply that the exorcist realized it might have been a rude question. “Adepti need to eat far less than humans do. I myself don’t need to eat much at all, nor do I wish to.”  There was a small bit of hesitance in the adeptus’ next words. “Almond Tofu tastes like a fond dream, and it is one of the few foods I can tolerate enough to indulge myself in.” 

Chongyun wouldn't have questioned the phrasing if it weren't for the oddities in Xiao's voice. Not to mention that he didn't seem to mind his first question. "How can something taste like a dream?" 

Again, that hesitance. "I know what dreams taste like, and the almond tofu tastes like good ones" Xiao then took another bite of his food.

That's when Chongyun decided to stop prying in case this was a touchy subject. Not too long ago, asking about none other than the Conqueror of Demons himself about his personal life would seem close to a death wish. But, perspectives change it seems. Still, the notion that Xiao knew what dreams tasted like was a can of worms that seemed worth opening at one point or another. 

This interaction aside, the pair ate in comfortable silence until both finished and they put the remains away. It was back to the beach for more training afterwards. 

The sun was below the horizon at this point, but fleeting light still remained in the sky. Chongyun didn't know when Xiao planned to finish the day's training, but considering its late start, it would certainly take awhile. This would be far from the first time the exorcist remained awake all night in favor of training, and it was hardly the last. When people said there weren't enough hours in the day, they were just too cowardice to use all the hours truly available to them. 

With the dull polearm back in hand, Chongyun watched as Xiao summoned a simple wooden sword, not unlike what children would play with. That was far from what Chongyun was expecting, but he assumed the adeptus had his reasons. 

“What you practiced earlier will be built upon. So to start, try stabbing your weapon at me,” Xiao instructed. 

With a nod, and an adjustment of his stance, Chongyun did as told. His attack was effortlessly parried by the wooden sword Xiao held. The force was more than Chongyun would have accounted for, but he kept his grip firm. The point of the polearm was now pointed towards Xiao’s left shoulder. “Slash down towards my right hip,” the Adeptus offered. 

“Like this?” Chongyun asked as he attempted to do just that. 

“Yes, now do it again,” Xiao said as he brought the wooden sword back down to his side. 

And so, the pair continued to do similar exercises, teaching Chongyun basic slashes and other moves that according to Xiao, would be the ‘building blocks for any future techniques.’ It was a similar stream of repetition as the exorcist learned the ropes, but he could feel the foreign strikes and slashes becoming familiar as at least a few more hours passed. Muscle memory was impossible to form in one night, but with all the material Xiao was providing, Chongyun was growing grateful for the repetitive teaching style.   

It was evident, however, that Chongyun needed some kind of energy boost if he wanted to continue training. Silently, he noted this as a bit of an oddity considering how accustomed he had become to a lack of sleep not too long ago. Perhaps his recently fixed sleep schedule was resulting in this. Nevertheless, Chongyun weighed his options and decided that asking Xiao a small favor wouldn’t be too much of a big deal. 

“Xiao, could I possibly take a short break?” Chongyun spoke when there was a break in the techniques Xiao was teaching him. 

It was then that Xiao seemed to realize that it was late considering that he looked at Chongyun in confusion, then diverted his gaze to the sky before replying. “Do you need to go back to the Inn to sleep?” 

“Oh, no. I’m fine,” The exorcist clarified. “But, and only if it’s not trouble, could you get me an iced coffee from there. That will allow me to continue training just fine.” 

Xiao cast away the wooden sword and thought for a moment, “Okay,” was all he had to say before disappearing with a short gust of wind. 

In the time he was gone, Chongyun pushed the end of the polearm into the sand so that it could stand on its own. With a yawn, he stretched his arms, and heard several joints crack in the process. Maybe one too many, all things considered. That’s when Chongyun’s eyes were caught on the view of the ocean before him. 

It was a dark night, probably dark enough to constitute getting a lantern, but neither Xiao nor Chongyun really considered this option on account that they were both familiar with working at night. Besides, who needed to see anyways? The lack of light from the moon gave the stars more of an opportunity to reflect on the calm waters before him. 

The sight reminded him of the night he’d rushed back to Liyue after all but forgetting his friends existed for a month. This sudden reminder prompted the exorcist to pause, and continue gazing onwards. He often tried to push reminders of his friends as far away as possible, but perhaps it was the tiredness that was hanging over the exorcist that caused him to let that train of thought go on as it pleased. 

It was one of the stupidest mistakes Chongyun had ever made, and he was sure he’d never quite forgive himself for getting so tunnel visioned on his training. Yet, he only seemed to go deeper into that rabbit hole as time went on. It was hard not the think that he was just stupid, but he had his reasons as irrational as they may be, and he was working with the conditions he’d brought upon himself. 

Day by day, Chongyun reminded himself that something like this was inevitable. With his yang energy being a factor, he was bound to fuck up as badly as he did. It just so happened that it wasn’t his yang energy that severed the tie, but rather his own actions. Regardless, Chongyun knew he was a danger to those he cared about. He was so close to moving on, but there was an annoying part of Chongyun that knew he would always regret his decisions. 

Alas, he had no way to go but forward and he was determined not to fuck up his apprenticeship with Xiao. He wouldn’t need friends if he just kept pushing himself. That was a delusion that Chongyun desperately held onto, and who knows if he would ever acknowledge the fact that he already had the starting foundations for new friendships, regardless of the severed ties with his old ones. 

“Chongyun?” 

Startled, Chongyun turned around to see Xiao holding the requested cup of iced coffee in hand. “Oh! Xiao, you’re back already?” 

“It’s been roughly twenty minutes since I left, there was a hold up at the Inn so it took longer than expected,” Xiao offered, sounding a bit confused. “Are you okay?” 

If you asked Chongyun how long Xiao had been gone, he would have said no more than five minutes, and that was pushing it. It would be a cause for concern to the teen if this wasn’t the first time this had happened. “Yes, I’m quite alright. Thank you for the coffee.” 

Xiao handed the drink over to Chongyun and gave a reluctant, “okay,” in response. 

Within a few moments, Chongyun found himself sat down on the beach, sipping on his coffee, and Xiao was standing a short ways away. “As said earlier, those who are adept with their own weapon will have a unique fighting style. You have seen me in combat in the past, but now seemed the appropriate time to show you a normal set of attacks I do.” 

Xiao proceeded with this little demonstration, and it was still astonishing to Chongyun just how fast his teacher could be while fighting. The calculated movements the adeptus made were mesmerizing, yet horrifying in the sense that said movements were used in combat. To think, a single blow from Xiao's polearm could kill anyone in an instant. The efficiency in which he used his polearm certainly reflected the years of refinement in his fighting style. 

If Chongyun didn’t trust his teacher, he would probably be scared for his life every time he breathed the same air as him, as many already were. Even with excessive training, Chongyun could still never imagine himself capable of such techniques, but at least he had someone more than capable to guide him on the right path. 

In his observations, a few things caught Chongyun’s attention, however. “Are the pole vaulting and the aerial entirely necessary?” He asked once Xiao was finished showing off his fighting tactics. 

That seemed to leave the Adeptus momentarily speechless, standing with a blank expression on his face, polearm still firmly gripped at his side. Then, Xiao simply said, “No.” 

This response earned a poorly concealed laugh from Chongyun. He had no right to laugh, as like many other skilled fighters, he had the tendency to be a bit extra at times as well. Even still, he would not have expected Xiao to fall into this habit as well. Especially with his mention of having a refined and efficient earlier. Xiao started towards Chongyun, and soon accompanied him on the ground. He kept his gaze fixed on the view of a star-lit night reflected in a vast ocean. It was then that the exorcist remembered something that he wanted to bring up earlier, and it seemed like as good a time as any. 

“Hey Xiao, do you know someone named Shenhe?” Chongyun asked, casually. 

Xiao turned to face the teen, looking the slightest bit surprised, “Yes, do you?” 

“Oh really? And, yes, that’s why I asked,” Chongyun took another sip of his iced coffee before adding. “She’s my aunt, actually.” 

This got the Adeptus thinking if the tilt of his head was any indication. He seemed more surprised then before. “I wasn’t aware that Shenhe had any living relatives.” 

“I didn’t learn about her until several years ago, and we only meet on rare occasions. I just figured I’d ask about her because it just so happens that she uses a polearm as well.” As Chongyun explained, Xiao still seemed to be fixated on some other odd detail that the former couldn’t place. “I thought that maybe if you two knew each other, we could ask her to show me her fighting techniques as well.” 

 “That is possible,” Xiao replied. “As for the time being, you need to continue learning the basics.” 

Chongyun gave an affirmative hum in return, then focused his attention on finishing his beverage so as to get back to work right away. When he was in the midst of chugging said beverage, he saw Xiao shift out of the corner of his eye. Once he moved the now empty cup away from his lips, he could see that the Adeptus was pressing a palm against his forehead, eyes shut tightly. 

“Xiao, is something the matter?” It was the first time the exorcist had ever seen his teacher show any remote sign of being in pain, and considering the Adeptus’ line of work that was something to be considered. 

“It is nothing you need to be concerned about,” Xiao answered, opening his eyes to look at Chongyun while keeping his forehead pressed firmly against his hand. 

“Okay, but if we need to finish things up for now-” 

“No,” the older interrupted, but to Chongyun’s relief, he didn’t sound annoyed. That’s when Xiao closed his eyes again and took a deep breath before standing up far too quickly. “We can continue if you’re finished with your drink.”

Xiao offered a familiar hand to Chongyun, and he took it without hesitation. 

“We’re moving onto moves where you swing the polearm in a sense, so…” 

As the night continued, Xiao acted no differently than usual, but that did not put Chongyun’s mind at ease. Even if his teacher said it was nothing, the exorcist was sure it had to be something. Maybe a headache? Do Adepti even get those? These were the thoughts that plagued Chongyun’s mind as he learned more and more skills through the night, leaving him a bit more distracted then he or Xiao would have liked. 

This little detail among other weighed of Chongyun's mind, but he still managed to learn quite a bit as the night continued. It seemed he lost track of time, because before he knew it, the sun was rising. Chongyun could feel the effects of a sleepless night by then, and he requested to take another short break. Xiao allowed this, but the next thing Chongyun knew was waking up in his room at the Wangshu Inn, a blanket haphazardly thrown over him. It didn't take long for the exorcist to realize he must have fallen asleep at the beach and was taken back to the inn by Xiao, it was just a concept that was difficult to grasp.

Chapter Text

Chongyun was wide awake almost mere seconds after he'd awoken back at the Wangshu Inn. The last thing he recalled was being on the beach at Archons know what hour training his ass off. It took him a few long moments to even realize that he was at the Inn, and in bed. It took him a few more long moments to realize that he hadn't in fact been kidnapped, but he had most likely been taken back to the Inn by Xiao, unless the kidnapper just decided to kidnap him to a very convenient location. The former was far more likely, but Chongyun was still considering the latter, just in case. Besides, the chance of Xiao taking Chongyun back to the Inn and tucking him into bed were just about as likely as the chance that he'd let someone kidnap Chongyun. Either way the chances of Chongyun even being back at the Inn were next to nothing, so he wasn't exactly going to complain. 

After Chongyun came to such conclusions, he was quickly up and out of bed. He ignored the ache in his muscles and the apparent exhaustion in his body willing him to climb back into bed. It was a new day, and that meant a new chance to become stronger. While the Chongyun's predictions for the day weren't all that exciting (probably just more work at using a polearm) he still wanted to be ready as soon as possible. The exorcist didn't even bother to check the time as he got dressed and went to order coffee from the front desk. He'd gotten used to sleep deprivation, if he could even be considered sleep deprived, again, he didn't check the time, so he didn't know. 

As Chongyun found his way to the ever familiar balcony of the inn, he already had begun chugging his coffee. If he almost tripped on the stairs on his way up because of this, well that was nobody's business but his own. It was only mere seconds after he actually arrived on the balcony that he heard a voice. He almost dropped his now empty sup of coffee, which was also nobody's business. 

"I was expecting you to sleep for longer," Xiao began, and Chongyun spun to face him. As expected, Xiao had his arms crossed over his chest. "But, we should begin right away." Despite his words, there was no particular sense of urgency in Xiao's tone. It was odd, Xiao was usually pretty straight forward, but he almost seemed hesitant for reasons Chongyun would probably never place.

"Wait, exactly what time is it?" Chongyun hardly had the chance to get the words out before Xiao was grabbing his wrist, and teleporting them away. 

The young exorcist couldn't even process process where he was before Xiao was handing him the same polearm he was using yesterday. All he grasped was the foreignness of his surroundings. What was also foreign, was the tape now wrapped around the handle of  Chongyun's polearm. But Xiao was already moving on, and Chongyun didn't think such details were all that noteworthy. At least he had time to finish his coffee beforehand, because it was certainly going to be a long day. 

“Do you remember all that I taught you yesterday?” Xiao asked. Chongyun must have been too busy trying to let his brain catch up to things to notice that his teacher had pulled out his own weapon. He gazed at the weapon, really taking in the details of it's design. It was rather simple, yet still striking and no doubt effective. After a moment of silence, Chongyun realized that he had, in fact, been asked a question, and those typically prompted an answer.

“Oh! Yes, yes I do,” three touchdowns and a marker on the bingo board, it looks like Chongyun guessed correctly. They were going to be working more with a polearm that day, unless Xiao wanted to pull a fast one and rip the bingo board in half by stabbing Chongyun with his polearm. Chongyun didn't know, he was still tired and waiting for the caffeine to kick in.  

Xiao did some kind of complicated twirl of the polearm in his hands that made the exorcists fickle sleep deprived mind go into overdrive, and held it at his side. He almost looked casual. Far too casual for someone who holding a deadly weapon, then again, Chongyun couldn’t say he was surprised considering what Xiao did for a career. “We will be building upon that further today. I hope this is not too much information for you, as the goal is to teach you these things as fast as possible. You forgetting everything would be counterproductive, as I’m sure you’re aware.” 

“I can assure you, it will be no issue," Chongyun affirmed. "And pardon my asking, but where exactly are we?" 

Now that Chongyun was taking his chance to look around, it was evident that he was in a cave. That made it hard to come to any cohesive conclusions as to where he and Xiao actually were, as one might guess. Said cave was very large, some glowing ores lined the walls, the occasional drop of water falling from the cave’s ceiling. There wasn't much light filtering into the cave. It was for the most part illuminated by the ores. The whole scene was rather ominous, all things considered. The knowledge that Xiao most likely wasn’t plotting to kill him here set the exorcist’s mind at ease. If Xiao wanted Chongyun dead, he would have been killed long ago. 

Dark hypotheticals aside, Xiao finally took the time to answer the question after what seemed to be some thinking. “We’re in south-west Lisha.” 

Okay, that made enough sense. Chongyun still had no clue how long he slept last night, but that was not the most important thing in the world. Another long day of training, as tired as it would make him- not that he wasn't already tired- was another step in the right direction. For however long his apprenticeship was going to last, Chongyun was determined not to lose sight of his goal. However, sometimes goals change, but that was another issue for another time. 

“Alright, I guess we should start then?” The exorcist offered, satisfied. With a simple nod, Xiao jumped right into the lesson. 

As things commenced, Chongyun was forever grateful that he actually did remember what had been taught to him the night before despite his sleep deprived state. When your mind was working too slowly, sometimes it could pay off just to work on auto pilot. The techniques would only get more complicated, and continue to build on themselves, so he just needed to retain enough information to keep building on what he already know. To a less dedicated student, it would be far too much information to process and work or perfect in a short time. Chongyun however, the perfect combination of determined and self-destructive, allowing him to push himself without too much issue. 

Several hours into the lesson, and only a few breaks later, a question crossed Chongyun's mind . He was in the midst of learning how to properly swing a polearm. “Xiao, why did you decide a cave was the best place for me to train today?” He asked, not pausing what he was doing. It seemed like a fair question considering that Xiao usually chose more open locations for training.

From a few feet in front of the younger, Xiao moved to stand more casually. A grimace painted his face for a short moment, and he seemed to choose his words carefully. “I don’t pay much attention to the weather, but today was hotter than usual. I believed a cooler environment for training would prove beneficial for you.” 

That caused Chongyun’s consistent pace to falter. He almost dropped the polearm he was holding. “I see…” 

“If that is an issue-” 

“No, it doesn’t bother me. I actually appreciate it,” Chongyun cut off Xiao, because actually did appreciate it. Even though the adeptus had promised not to treat Chongyun then he would treat anyone else because of his yang energy, this somehow felt different. It felt, less babying, and more just thoughtful. Something that Chongyun hadn't realized he was so unaccustomed to until that moment. 

Xiao hummed in acknowledgement, then directed his gaze to Chongyun’s stance. “Your form is slipping. Don’t let that happen, it can become a bad habit, and greatly hinder your abilities in the long run. Another note: Keep track of your breathing, it may seem inconsequential, but it can greatly impact your abilities in battle, regardless of what weapon you use.” 

Just like that, he moved on, not sparing any further words towards the issue of Chongyun’s yang energy.

Xiao continued to train Chongyun in the art of the polearm for a long, and grueling week. With the excessive teaching style the adeptus favored, it hardly took any time for the teen to get the ropes. To the untrained eye, it would seem like Chongyun had been using polearms for quite some time. Not that Chongyun thought that way about himself. He still thought he had a very long way to go. This mindset could certainly explain the brashness of Xiao’s coming actions, at least in Chongyun's mind.

The exorcist sat up in bed after what couldn't have been more then four hours of sleep, feeling his overexerted muscles ache with every movement. He thought he was sore a week ago, but so much as shuffling in bed felt like going for half a mile run. With tired eyes, Chongyun squinted to look around in the dark of his room. Only brief traces of light wafted through the window, allowing just enough visibility to see the vague outlines of furniture. 

The same old desk and wardrobe were in their place, as well as the armchair that sat in the corner. It was as familiar as his other bedroom back in Liyue Harbor at this point. Chongyun rubbed his eyes, still not sure why his body decided to wake him up at such a time. Another examination of the room led to no unusual findings, well aside from the shadowy figure with glowing yellow eyes that gazed out the window. Wait.

“Holy fuck!” Chongyun shouted with an aggressive jolt that made his aching bones ache even more. 

The figure shifted, and brought its attention to the exorcist. “You’re awake,” it said. No, Xiao said. That was no doubt, Xiao’s voice. 

“Y-yeah, no shit,” Chongyun bit, far more frank then he would usually be. It was not like this was the first time that he had been scared shitless by someone he knew just standing around in his room as he woke up. That didn't make it any less startling.  “Why- why are you here?" He asked, rubbing a hand over his face. 

It was far too dark for the teen to see any slight expression change that Xiao might have had, and the tone of his voice was no tell to his feelings either. “I came to wake you up.” 

“Then why were you… why were you standing over there when I actually woke up?” Chongyun pushed, waving his arm in Xiao’s general direction. 

“I don’t know if you’re aware of how heavy of a sleeper you are, but you’ve been half asleep for quite some time. I know little of sleep, but I’ve been told that letting people wake up on their own terms can have more effective results,” Xiao clarified, a hint of awkwardness laced in his voice.

The exorcist examined the curtain covered window, “Isn’t it like… 4AM, or something? Is there an emergency of some kind?” A long list of worst case scenarios raced through Chongyun’s mind all at once, and his annoyance morphed almost instantly into concern. He was almost too aware that his vision was on his bedside table, and not on his person. 

“If there were an emergency, I would have dealt with it myself,” Xiao informed, crossing the room. In a swift motion, he struck a match and lit the oil lamp that sat on the room's desk. In response, Chongyun squinted his eyes and brought an arm to block the blinding light. After allowing his poor little eyes adjust, Chongyun looked up to make eye contact with Xiao. “Get ready, we need to get an early start today. Meet me on the balcony when you’re dressed,” and without another word, Xiao vanished. 

“Fucking, archons,” Chongyun mumbled, rubbing a hand over his face. After a long moment of hesitation, he pushed himself out of bed. With a yawn and a stretch, he began getting ready for whatever Xiao had in store for that day. He felt like he had to put conscious effort into moving, but that was nothing a little caffeine couldn't fix right.  Chongyun let his mind wander to all the possible things that would need such an early start. Well, early by comparison to most peoples standards, it was about two hours off of Chongyun's own. While things had been consistent recently, one could never know when the adeptus would throw a curveball. In all honesty, Chongyun knew it couldn’t be all too bad regardless of what Xiao had planned. 

Twenty minutes and two large coffees later, Chongyun made his way up the stairs to the balcony. His eyes traced over the familiar environment. As promised, Xiao was standing with his back facing the exorcist. Next to him, another whom Chongyun recognized also stood. 

“Lady Ganyu,” he said, grabbing both figure’s attention. 

The secretary turned and gave a kind smile. “No need for formalities, Ganyu works just fine, and it’s a pleasure to see you again.” 

“Yes, it’s good to see you too. Um,” It was odd to think that the last time Chongyun saw the half-adeptus, the two were duking it out  in Tevat’s most extreme game of capture the flag. It was also odd to think that Chongyun was apparently on a first name basis with two adepti, one who was a member of the Liyue Qixing. “Can I ask what brings you out here, um, Ganyu?” 

“Xiao requested me, but I’m sure you figured that out. He needed my help arranging a meeting… of sorts.” Ganyu answered, glancing at Xiao who had since turned to face Chongyun as well. 

He crossed his arms and said, “Yes, and now that it has been arranged, I can take you back to the Harbor for your work-” 

“Oh, I requested the day off. I was actually hoping to accompany you, if that is alright.” Ganyu cut off the adeptus.  

“Your presence is not required, but I see no issue with you tagging along,” Xiao huffed, with a roll of his eyes. 

“You say that as if you don’t want me around.” A smug grin appeared on Ganyu’s face, an expression that Chongyun would have never thought someone like her capable of. 

Xiao glared at Ganyu, but it held no real malice. “You will not be an inconvenience.” 

“Hmm, and who was the one to call a secretary to arrange a meeting with someone he has the full capability of visiting at any time he pleases?” Ganyu retorted, sarcastically. Chongyun felt like he was teleported to some alternate universe at this exchange. Last he spoke to Ganyu, she retold events of Xiao training her, and this was far from the dynamic he expected between the two. 

With a grimace, Xiao sighed, “Fine, I would be happy if you came along. Is that what you want to hear?” 

“Well, I’d be more than happy to join you,” Ganyu smiled, finally satisfied. 

“Fucking, bastard,” Xiao muttered. 

Chongyun blinked, shocked due to this banter that came out of nowhere. He knew little of the details of Xiao and Ganyu’s relationship beyond their past game of capture the flag and stories about the adepti, but if he didn’t know any better, he would have assumed these two to be siblings. The teen wanted to move things along, so he simply cleared his throat, catching Ganyu and Xiao’s attention. “So, what exactly is this meeting Ganyu arranged?” 

“Oh right, we should get going if we want to remain on schedule,” the secretary momentarily turned her attention to the gradually brightening sky. It was rising earlier and earlier, a sign that summer was it's cusp. 

Xiao hummed and placed hands on both Chongyun and Ganyu’s shoulders. In an instant, they were somewhere completely foreign to the exorcist, or so he thought. The lighting made things seem so different, but after a bit of examination, he remembered where he had seen this place before. A large tree sat on an island in the middle of a small lake. It was where he and Xiao had played checkers not too long ago. It appeared that nothing had changed since the last time they were there except for the time of day. 

Xiao wasted not a second before approaching the tree via a path of slightly submerged stones that had rose like patterns on them. Chongyun and Ganyu followed until they were standing near the table. Before the teen could register the movements fully, a woman with long white hair was standing before them. Her eyes reflected the trace amounts of light the sky had to offer. There were also bags under her eyes, bags that Chongyun unknowingly had too. 

“Adeptus Xiao, Ganyu. You required my assistance,” she greeted before taking notice of the third figure. “Oh, hello Chongyun. What are you doing here?” 

“This is the apprentice I was telling you about Shenhe,” Ganyu answered, stepping forwards. “I didn’t know you knew Chongyun.”  

The older exorcist nodded. “Yes, he is my nephew," she paused, seeming rather confused. In her defense, Chongyun was often still surprised that he'd ended up where he was. "I didn’t know he knew you or Xiao.” 

“Wait, nephew? I thought you didn’t have any-” Ganyu cut herself off, “Oh, I mean…” 

“Were you not aware I had any living relatives? I was surprised myself when I heard the news,” Shenhe turned her attention to Chongyun. “It is good to see you.” 

“It’s good to see you too, Shenhe,” the teen said with a small wave, lacking the energy and the social skills to do much more. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ganyu staring with wide eyes at the interaction. 

Shenhe strode forwards so she could place the back of her hand on her nephew's forehead. “Unusually high temperature, just like usual. Are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor for that?” 

With an affectionate sigh, Chongyun moved Shenhe’s hand away. “Yes, I’m sure.” 

“You seem much more calm than the last time I brought this up,” the older exorcist pointed out, matching Chongyun's sigh with an affectionate expression. 

Chongyun thought of the last time Shenhe just walked up and checked his temperature out of the blue. Maybe it was because he was expecting it this time, or maybe it was because he had long since gotten used to the lack of social skills the adepti and those associated with them had. Maybe it was something else entirely, he didn't know. “I suppose you’re right. It’s been a little while, how have you been?” 

“Well, I have actually been trying to visit Liyue Harbor more often. I was there not long ago, but I didn’t see you around,” Shenhe stated, glancing at Xiao. “Now it seems I know why.”

“Yes, I’ve been rather busy with my apprenticeship, I actually haven’t been in the Harbor for a few weeks,”  Chongyun - suddenly reminded of how he had ended up in this situation, and how he hadn't been home in quite some time- turned his attention back to Xiao. “Can I ask why exactly we’re here? Not that I’m not happy to see my aunt, but I’m assuming it has to do with my training.” Shenhe seemed as though the same question was on the tip of her tongue. 

“Yes,” Xiao stated simply. 

A moment of silence passed with no further elaboration, only ending when Xiao cleared his throat. Ganyu, who had been in shock, blinked and cleared her own throat before speaking. “You see Shenhe, Xiao has been teaching Chongyun to use a polearm. He was hoping that you could teach Chongyun a thing or two about the specifics of your fighting style.” 

“Oh yes, that would be fine,” Shenhe promptly summoned her polearm. “Shall we begin then?” 

Chongyun turned to Xiao for further confirmation. “What Ganyu said,” he said flatly, summoning a polearm that Chongyun hadn’t seen before, and handing it to the teen. It was heavier then the last one, and the blade on it looked like it could do some actual damage. 

“Yes, I guess so,” Chongyun answered Shenhe. She nodded at him, something reminiscent of a smile on her face. And that was that, and they were off, taking the odd stone path off of the small island. From there, the two exorcists continued, and Chongyun was thankful that Shenhe wasn't much for casual small talk. He just needed to put his energy into training, and not fucking up here. Xiao was one thing, but the last thing Chongyun wanted to do was waste Shenhe's time. It was only within the last week that Chongyun realized how little time people really seemed to have. It took from dawn until it was dark every day for seven days for Chongyun to learn what Xiao continued to say were 'the basics' of using a polearm. 

To an immortal like Xiao, maybe that week would mean nothing, but to Chongyun it meant everything. Every second of this apprenticeship meant everything. He wasn't going to waste any more time. He cut off things with his friends, he got finally got telling Xiao about his Yang Energy out of the way, as well as dealt with the initial reaction, and it finally felt like he was getting somewhere. He was moving forwards, and actually making use of time. In retrospect, it felt like he had wasted so much time. So he wasn't going to waste anymore. Not of his own, or anyone else's.  

A few minutes of silence and Chongyun following Shenhe like a lost puppy, the pair was in a more remote area of the mountain, leaving Xiao and Ganyu to their own devices. 

The sun was crawling its way up the sky, illuminating the foggy view from the mountain in an almost dream-like glow. Even after living in Liyue all his life, Chongyun was still surprised at how beautiful it could be at times. “Ganyu said you were learning how to use a polearm from adeptus Xiao. Could you show me what you’ve learned so far?”

Drawing his attention away from the view, Chongyun replied, “That may take awhile, and I'm sure you have a lot to get to.” He let out an awkward chuckle, very much not wanting to go over everything Xiao had taught him during the past week, but if that's what was necessary, he'd oblige. 

“Then just the most advanced things you know.” 

“Oh, okay,” The exorcist said as he took a breath, trying to hide his relief. He prepared to hit his stance and Shenhe stood back to give him room to show off his skills. She met the teens' eyes with an expression that was the text book definition of blank. For a long moment, Chongyun froze where he stood.

A small, yet familiar wave of anxiety washed over Chongyun as he locked eyes with his aunt. There was something inherently human, in her gaze. Almost too human, and far too familiar in so many inconvenient ways. It was something that couldn’t be put into words, but it was something, for lack of a better word, missing from the eyes of say, Xiao and Ganyu, even Venti in retrospect. Chongyun hadn’t noticed this before, but then again, he hadn’t been spending much of his time around humans recently. 

Never in all his short seventeen years of living did Chongyun think he’d grow to be more comfortable in the presence of adepti and other divine beings than that of humans, not that Shenhe was all too different from the adepti. It was ridiculous, but also rather simple when he tried to rationalize this realization. It was easy for Chongyun to accept the fact that he was fundamentally less than adepti. Being in their presence was intimidating, horrifying even, but when all was said and done, it didn’t matter. In a few hundred years, he would be dead and no adepti would remember him, let alone a small mess up. 

Humans on the other hand, well they were just as insignificant as Chongyun himself. They were on the same level, and they were all bound to live short insignificant lives. That made every moment within these short lives all the more significant. A simple mistake could mean the end of the world to a human, or it could mean nothing. There was so much possibility, and that made things all the more complicated. 

Chongyun didn’t like needless complications, for he knew they would only work to set off his yang energy. So, could one blame him for being nervous in the presence of humans, his aunt Shenhe included? 

So caught up in this slew of realizations, Chongyun hardly realized he had not only started, but finished showing Shenhe his new found polearm skills. He had to physically force himself to remain focused on his surroundings, rather than just operating on muscle memory like he had been. True to form, he took a deep breath. The same damn deep breath that he'd taken so many times. But hey, it worked, didn't it?

“How long have you been learning how to use a polearm?” Shenhe asked, sounding distant, not in tone, but in actual distance. Rationally Chongyun knew she had moved to stand mere feet away from him. She still sounded far away in a way that Chongyun could vaguely recall people sounding like before. He chalked it up to just being tired, but hey, at least that coffee was starting to do its job. 

Another deep breath, “About a week, why?”

“You know quite a lot for only a week's work, I must admit.” The next thing Chongyun knew, Shenhe was standing right in front of him, cold eyes meeting his own. “You’re much further along than I expected.” 

Still a bit out of it, Chongyun broke eye contact. “Well, I owe that to Xiao.” 

“And yourself,” Shenhe added. This earned a puzzled look from Chongyun, but Shenhe soon moved on. “From here, I think it’s best that you start incorporating your vision into your fighting style. How you use it will help guide you in the right direction. Or at least that’s what I did. So, do you have a specific way of using your vision?” 

“Oh, uh…” Chongyun mumbled, trying to recall how exactly he used his vision, which seemed stupid. He'd been using it for years, and excessively in the past two months. For some reason however, he was drawing a blank. It wasn’t something he had to put much thought into, not after Xiao’s excessive training. He just kind of used it.  Maybe it was stress, or sleep deprivation that was preventing an answer, but either way, Chongyun just ended up standing there silently like an idiot. “I’m not sure,” he eventually managed. 

Shenhe gave him a blank glance. “Okay,” she replied in the same almost hollow way that she usually did. “How about I tell you how I use mine?” Chongyun nodded, and prompted Shenhe to carry on. “I’ve learned how to create a Talisman Spirit, as you’ve seen before, here.” 

Shenhe stepped back just enough to leave a safe amount of space between herself and Chongyun. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath, similarly to the way Chongyun often did before just about any task. Then, she opened them, and with a swift motion of her hand, she summoned the said Talisman Spirit. It looked the same as Chongyun remembered, with its blank face covered by a talisman, and a body that replicated Shenhe’s own. The same slim, but built form, and long tied back hair. 

It stood-- well more floated -at Shenhe’s side. “I can use the avatar to enhance my own abilities, my allies abilities, or weaken enemies. And unlike others, I use my vision as well as my skills as an exorcist to make myself stronger, rather than using it in tandem with attacks. Like the way Xiao does."

That struck a chord in Chongyun and he was all too suddenly engaged in this conversation, “I do the same thing!” he offered. “Well, obviously not to the same extent as you. I’m nowhere near skilled enough to make an avatar, but I… What you said about using it with attacks, I can create a sort of field where any one can use cryo, so I don’t have to actively use my vision. It allows me to put more effort into actually fighting ”

Shenhe tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, and the Talisman Spirit followed suit with a bit more exaggeration. “Really?” She asked, spurring Chongyun to continue. 

“Yeah. I also learned how to create Spirit Blades,” Chongyun could feel an air of excitement at being able to tell someone who understood exorcism how he used it to fight. Maybe the subconscious excitement to be talking to another human again was also playing a factor here. “Which are these blades of ice created using a mantra, and I can- Can I show you?” 

“Go ahead,” Shenhe hardly even moved, but the spirit gestured forwards. It was almost creepy how emotive it could be while Shenhe remained unmoving, and expressionless. It really was an extension of herself, and Chongyun could only imagine how much he had yet to learn.  

With a determined smile, no longer filled with such heavy amounts of exhaustion, Chongyun readjusted his position and uttered the mantra he had so many times before, to summon a talisman. It was as simple as walking at this point, breathing even, and with a quick, almost effortless motion, Chongyun cast a spirit blade down in front of him. It rattled the ground before quickly vanishing into the same thin air it came from. 

“I believe I’ve seen you use that before,” Shenhe said as she took a step forward, the avatar floating after her. “When we first met. It’s impressive.” 

“Oh, well thank you,” Chongyun brushed off. He couldn’t remember the last time he got a compliment like that. He usually had to work more for them. “Xiao also taught me how to do a few other things.” 

“Alright, how about to start, you show me more what you've taught yourself.”

Chongyun blinked, fighting off any shock that Shenhe's words brought on. "Okay," he said, with another bright smile. 

Chapter Text

“So, how has training Chongyun been going?” Ganyu asked with a kind smile on her face while she took a sip of tea. She was sitting in Zhongli’s seat, a detail that Xiao did not fail to notice. He recalled many, albeit distant memories, of the archon in that chair.  Xiao would feel the need to usher Ganyu out of said seat if she wasn’t, well, Ganyu. He was sat where Guizhong used to sit. It felt morally wrong in every sense of the word, but Ganyu insisted that they sat and drank some tea, so he would just deal with it. 

“He’s made progress,” Xiao answered her question flatly, and it's not like he was lying. His expression remained its usual neutral that he had been told looked more annoyed than anything. There was a term someone used, Hu Tao to be exact, but it was slipping the Yaksha’s mind. All Xiao could remember is that he disagreed with her statement, not that he spent a lot of time analyzing his own facial expressions and social skills. Xiao shifted in his seat before continuing, “More progress than I’d expect from a human.”

Ganyu chuckled, took another sip of tea, then looked away from Xiao. “The view from here is lovely, don’t you agree?” 

He followed her gaze to peer at the view. It wasn't what he would consider to be 'lovely.' Not that it looked bad, but Xiao had just seen Liyue from better angles before, and with better lighting. The cloudy sky made everything seem muted, compared it its usual vibrancy. “It’s fine,” Xiao eventually said. 

“Y’know, you’re allowed to enjoy things, right Xiao?” Ganyu teased. “But maybe I’m just too used to the view from the Harbor. It’s not often I get to come out and see the rest of Liyue.” 

“I usually don’t have the time to sit and watch the view,” Xiao brushed off, before turning back to his tea. Admittedly, he wasn’t paying attention when Ganyu told him what kind of tea it was. It was either something fancy, or medicinal, or both knowing Ganyu. All Xiao knew was that it had an almost golden color, and all he could hope was that he could stomach it. 

“Well I find that hard to believe,” Ganyu said as she too turned back to her beverage. “I can’t recall the last time we met up and I didn’t see you staring at the scenery at one point or another.”

“I’m not admiring the view. I’m keeping watch,” Xiao corrected the half adeptus. Reluctantly, he lifted his cup and took a sip. He didn’t recognize the flavor, but it wasn’t all that bad. Far better then the tea that Verr Goldet would try and serve him with his beloved almond tofu on occasion. Ganyu sighed, drawing Xiao’s attention away from his tea and to her. “Are you alright?” he asked. 

“Yes, yes. Sorry,” Ganyu said with a  dismissive wave of her hand. “It’s just- Archons, Xiao. Do you do anything other than worry about protecting people?” She asked, this time sounding… some way. Xiao couldn’t really understand what to make of it. 

“It’s my sworn duty to defend Liyue. If I don’t ‘worry,’ about protecting people, who will-” 

“The Liyue Qixing, Xiao,” Ganyu interrupted the other adeptus. “The contract exists for a reason, y’know.” 

Xiao took another sip of his tea, not meeting Ganyu’s eyes. “I am aware.” 

“Are you?” Ganyu pushed. 

“Yes,” Xiao assured her, a bit harshly. “But I still have a duty. As do you. Liyue may have the Qixing to defend against many threats, but I alone have burdens to carry that no one, other than myself can carry. There are some threats that mortals can’t defend against. You of all people should know that, Ganyu.” 

One again, Ganyu sighed. “I do. It’s just…” she paused, mindlessly taking another sip of tea. “It seems unfair that the other adepti get to live their own lives now, while you still have to adhere to certain duties. Your karmic debt- You shouldn't have to continue torturing yourself for the sake of others. You don’t deserve to suffer, Xiao.” 

A heavy silence hung in between the two adepti as Xiao processed Ganyu’s words. It felt like such a trivial thing for her to be worried about. He could handle himself just fine. Ganyu was in charge of things that, while ultimately inconsequential to Xiao, were still important to Liyue Harbor. Things that impacted peoples lives directly, and with her busy schedule, Xiao would have never considered that she would take the time to worry about him. The clear concern she had about Xiao’s well being just felt unnecessary. 

Xiao did what he did because it was his duty. Plain and simple. And the karmic debt? Well, he had much to atone for, and Xiao was well aware of the grip it had on him. It was a burden he deserved to carry, but nobody else seemed to realize that. Perhaps it was because nobody truly knew the extent of his sins. That would stay between him and Celestia if Xiao had anything to say about it. The horrors that he’s committed were not something he hoped for many others to be privy too. Even those as close as Ganyu, the traveler Venti, or even Zhongli. They knew bits and pieces, but the last thing Xiao wanted to do was recount the story of his life. 

One thing felt entirely false about Ganyu’s words. That’s what drove Xiao to finally say, “I don’t lead as miserable of a life as you seem to believe I do.” 

“What?” A puzzled look painted itself on Ganyu’s face. 

With a swig of the warm drink in his cup, Xiao continued. “The karmic debt that I carry… while it is a burden, I have learned to live with it.” 

“But it still hurts you, does it not?” Ganyu pushed, and there was a shine in her eyes that Xiao didn’t want to acknowledge. 

“Yes,” he answered simply. “But, it doesn’t make it impossible to enjoy things. Your company is-” Ganyu tilted her head, curious. “Not something I dread. And it’s the same with others. I- I still… I still worry about hurting people, but the traveler showed me that I can let myself enjoy the company of others, as long as I’m careful.” 

 Xiao wanted to stop there, but he knew there was one more thing to say. So, before Ganyu could get out a response, he blurted, “Besides, I have another responsibility now.” 

“Oh?” 

“I have a student, and while my knowledge on human emotions is still very limited, I… I worry about him,” Xiao said, shifting in his seat. He took another sip of tea. “He pushes himself too hard, alarmingly hard, and he ignores this condition that he has. He’s also cut off his connections to his friends just so that he can train harder, Ganyu. Not to mention what he's told me about his parents. I just feel like he's hiding things that are important for some reason.”  

Ganyu hummed, a ghost of a smile on her face as she finished off the last of her tea. “He certainly reminds me of someone.” 

Xiao rolled his eyes, “Venti said the same thing.” 

“It’s because it’s true, Xiao,” Ganyu remarked with a short laugh. 

“I just don’t know what to do other than continue training him. I think he needs this, Ganyu and I don’t know if I can be what he needs,” Xiao admitted. This was another situation where it would be entirely different if it wasn’t Ganyu who Xiao was talking to. Although, he still did feel a small part of himself screaming to not be so vulnerable. Then again, there were a lot of screams resonating in Xiao’s mind, so he’d gotten pretty good at tuning them out. 

Ganyu slowly reached out a hand and patted the back of Xiao’s own hand that rested on the table. “If it’s any solace, I think you’ve done a great job so far.” 

“I have no idea what I’m doing,” Xiao deadpanned.

“You’ll figure it out. Just don’t push yourself too hard, Xiao. You look more exhausted than usual,” Ganyu teased as she awkwardly reached over to ruffle Xiao’s hair. He swatted her hand away. 

“You’re one to talk.”

“I’m always this exhausted, Xiao,” Ganyu offered, an almost smug look on her face. 

The younger adeptus wanted to say some witty response, not that he was particularly witty, by any means actually. However, he was distracted by a distant shout. Xiao and Ganyu both turned towards it in an instant. They were met with the sight of Shenhe sprinting towards them. Sprinting towards them with a body in her arms. Chongyun. Chongyun was unconscious, and Shenhe was running to them for help. 

A surge of panic coursed through Xiao’s veins, and he didn’t even think before he appeared at Shenhe’s side. “What happened?” He demanded, and if there was even an ounce of desperation in his tone then Xiao would rather die than admit to it. 

Abruptly, Shenhe stopped and faced Xiao. It was clear that she was trying not to jostle the teen in her arms, what with the iron grip she had on him. “I don’t know, he just passed out while we were training. I checked to be sure he was breathing then-” 

“Have you checked his temperature?” Xiao interrupted the older exorcist, deadly serious.

Shenhe paused, “Yes, I did.” 

“Was he any more irregularly hot than usual?” The adeptus proceeded to pull off the glove that did not hold his vision and tossed it to the side before he pressed his pale fingers to Chongyun’s forehead, just to be sure. He was not going to be taking any chances here. The teen had a real talent for passing out, and Xiao honestly wasn’t sure he could take another scare. Oddly enough, Chongyun felt colder then usual, almost clammy even. 

“No, if anything, he felt colder than usual,” Shenhe answered, confirming Xiao's own observations. There was an air of stoicism to her tone that disguised the apparent nervousness that was washing over her. 

Xiao wasn’t sure if he was relieved or just more concerned about that. On one hand, it wasn’t Chongyun’s condition that made him pass out this time. On the other hand, it could be something much worse than that given the circumstances. However, this was no time to panic, not if Xiao wanted to be sure Chongyun was okay. He just had to be okay. He’d been in worse shape and came out fine before. “Lay him down on the ground,” Xiao instructed. 

Shenhe compiled without question, carefully laying Chongyun on the grass. By then, Ganyu had run over to meet the three of them. “What happened?” She asked, the same seriousness as Shenhe about her, while using the same words Xiao had before. 

Xiao crouched down next to Chongyun before saying, “He passed out, we don’t know why.” With his ungloved hand, Xiao felt around his students neck for his pulse. Much to Xiao’s worry, it felt slower than it should be. 

“Does it seem serious?” Ganyu questioned, crouching next to Xiao. 

“We’re trying to figure that out,” Shenhe answered before Xiao had the chance to. She was surveying her nephew with a firm expression. She closed her eyes and took a breath before looking up and locking eyes with Xiao. “Do you think you should bring him to a doctor in the harbor?” 

Xiao’s instant reaction was to say, ‘yes, absolutely’ but in all reality he was clueless. More often than not, he would ignore his own injuries or ailments in favor of productivity, so he was at a loss here. “I don’t know,” Xiao turned to his right towards Ganyu. “What do you think?” 

The half-adeptus hummed, then firmly asked Shenhe, “Was he acting out of the ordinary before he passed out? Short of breath, nauseous, tired?” 

Shenhe didn’t take much time to mull it over, “He seemed pretty tired the whole time.” 

“Okay,” Ganyu directed her next question to Xiao. “How was his pulse? And do you know how he has been sleeping lately?” 

“Slow, and…” There Xiao drew a blank. He usually didn’t put a lot of thought into sleep, just as a general concept. “I’m not sure.’ 

“Alright, I don’t think it’s anything serious,” Ganyu paused with a thoughtful expression. “He most likely passed out from exhaustion, so we should stay here for now. But, just to be safe, take off his overshirt.” She informed Shenhe and Xiao. The latter clung to Ganyu’s words like a lifeline. It’s nothing serious, Xiao mentally assured himself. 

He and Shenhe complied with the request immediately. Shenhe undid the buttons and carefully slid off the article as Xiao lifted his torso off the ground before laying him back down. There was a sense of urgency in both of their movements, that much was obvious.  At the same time, Ganyu removed his belt and placed it next to where Shenhe had placed Chongyun’s shirt. 

“What should we do now?” Shenhe asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the rise and fall of Chongyun’s chest. 

With a sigh, Ganyu replied, “Unless either of you have smelling salts on you, we wait.” 

The two carried on talking, but Xiao stopped listening. He felt- well he didn’t know he felt. There was still adrenaline coursing through his veins, his head was starting to hurt, his ears were ringing,  and everything just seemed wrong, in a sense. But why? There was nothing to worry about, Chongyun was fine. Xiao has dealt with him passing out before, even recently. So there was no reason this time should be any different. 

But somehow, it was and Xiao couldn’t deny the fact that he felt, for lack of a better word, scared. He hardly felt scared in all honesty. Uneasy? Sure. Worried? How could he not be with someone as reckless as Chongyun in his life. But scared? Not usually, to say the least.

It was a deep, visceral fear that almost didn’t feel like his own, and that’s when Xiao connected the dots. It could not be worse timing, but centuries worth of karmic debt didn’t care about timing, and would become an issue when it damn well pleased. 

Without so much as a word in explanation, Xiao stood up and teleported away. He hardly had to think about the destination, it was almost instinct at this point. In an instant the adeptus found himself on the island floating above Qingyun Peak. A place of solitude where he wouldn't be at risk of hurting someone. Xiao knew that his sudden departure was rather brash, but he saw no other option. If there was even so much as a chance that he was going to lose control of himself and hurt Ganyu, Shenhe, Chongyun, or archons know who else, then he wasn’t going to take it. 

There was a sudden feeling of shakiness that overcame Xiao, and he haphazardly sat on one of the benches attached to the structure on the floating island.. All too soon, he felt a pounding in his head, and the ringing in his ears evolved into a series of pained screams and cries. Xiao felt like his entire body was on fire. A blazing fire, that burned no matter how much you tired to put it out. He'd felt this same fire  before, but that didn't make it anymore bearable/ It hurt like every single injury Xiao had sustained in his entire life was opening all over again and there was no amount of medical care that could stop it. 

There was an especially sharp pain in his left hand, starting at the center of his palm, and trailing to end of each finger, and down his forearm. Xiao brought his right hand to clutch his opposite wrist. The pain only got worse, and worse. Xiao had to stifle back a scream of pain as tears burned his eyes. He felt the edges of his consciousness going black, and Xiao couldn't tell if it was the karma, or if he was on the brink of passing out. Nor did he care. He just- he didn't know. Xiao was sure that this was killing him. 

He was on the brink of dying, or losing it, or whatever other dark fate was in store for him. All of a sudden, a slight breeze brushed past the adeptus, and the concentrated pain in his hand seemed to disperse itself through out the rest of his body. Xiao would have cried in relief if he still wasn't in tremendous pain. He buried his face in his hands, and tried to take a breath, but it came out as more of a pained gasp. “Just fight it,” he whispered to himself. It was hardly audible over the shouts in his ears, but Xiao knew how to handle this. He just needed to stay calm, and focus on keeping the karma at bay. 

Distantly, Xiao heard Ganyu’s voice call his name, several times actually. She knew that he could hear her, and Xiao only wished it was a two way street. At least then he could tell her that she didn’t need to worry without putting her in danger. For now, however, he could just have to ignore her call. The part of his head screaming not to was almost louder than the other screams in his head, but Xiao would just have to  trust that Ganyu and the others would be fine for now. 

In the mean time, he had to be sure he didn't lose his own mind. 

Xiao had no clue how much time had passed, but with much effort, he’d managed to quell his karmic debt to something more manageable once again. He felt distant, and he was only just now coming back to himself. He felt shaky, and overwhelmed, and phantom pains still shot through his left arm. Something had managed to quell that pain, and Xiao had a sinking suspicion he knew what, more accurately who, was responsible. But, that damned bard had yet to come around and show his face, for for now Xiao could only hope he knew how he appreciated it. 

Perhaps a bit hypocritically, Xiao just looked out at the scenery for a long while as he calmed down.

The cloud-covered sky remained to cast Liyue in the same muted light as before, and it looked like rain was on the cusp of arrival. Liyue was just as beautiful as ever, even with the weather. The view from the island Xiao still sat upon was unrivaled by all means. Tall mountain peaks just reached above the layer of fog that was hung over Liyue. Golden leaves from the trees littered the wide open fields and ruins scattered throughout the vast nation. Turquoise waters that appeared murky with the lighting and distance stretched for miles, and the magnificent piece of architecture that was the Jade Chamber floated about the harbor in the distance. Xiao would do anything the vast land before him.

Perhaps his devotion to Liyue started with Morax saving his life, but Morax was no longer, and Xiao had grown attached to Liyue for far more reasons than his contract with the former archon. Not that that wasn't still a big factor in his loyalty. With nobody around to see, Xiao allowed a fond sigh to escape his lips. Despite the lightness in which gazing upon the place he called home brought, Xiao still felt an undeniable weight on his chest. 

He felt so thoroughly exhausted, and he had admittedly felt that way for years. His dedication to Liyue was both a blessing and a curse that could make even just keeping on feel impossible. It was one thing to fight the hardest battles for the sake of others, but that became increasingly more difficult when Xiao had to fight his own demons as well. Both figuratively and literally. 

Xiao’s life was bearable, but not easy. Some things made all the suffering worth it however. 

Speaking of which, as Xiao let himself think, the sound of his own name being called echoed in his mind. It wasn’t Ganyu’s voice this time, either. It was Chongyun. 

The adeptus took a moment just to be sure he was going to be okay, and was then back at his students' side. With wide, worried eyes, the adeptus surveyed his surroundings. Chongyun was no longer laid out on the open grass, but rather sat under a tree. The very same tree that he and Xiao had once played checkers while sitting underneath. Now, however, was not the time to reminisce. Not when Xiao was still unsure if Chongyun was really okay or not. 

The teen had his back pressed against the tree's trunk, and by the archons did he look exhausted. Far more exhausted than before, and maybe even exhausted as Xiao felt. Then again, maybe Xiao just didn’t notice before. Maybe he hadn’t noticed a lot of things that he should have noticed before. Shenhe was sat beside him, the hair that was usually covering her face was pulled back with the rest of it. The pair seemed to have been in the midst of a conversation that was brought to an abrupt halt by Xiao’s arrival.  

Chongyun’s blue eyes with slitted pupils that mirrored Xiao’s own were fixed on him. Xiao was trying to come off as aloof as possible, while still being prepared to take immediate action if necessary. Luckily, things seemed to be okay, for the most part. At least with Chongyun, for himself, Xiao would have to take that into evaluation later. 

“Xiao, you’re back,” Ganyu’s voice spoke before anyone else had the chance. Xiao spun around to see her walking towards him, not much of an expression on her face. “After I called you the first few times and you didn’t come back, I figured what you had to be doing was pretty important. But, I’m sure it’s all over with now that you’re here, right?” 

“Yes, I have… things taken care of, but,” Xiao gestured to Chongyun while still facing the half-adeptus. “He was the one who called me.” 

“Oh uh, sorry, I didn’t realize you could hear it if I just mentioned your name. Shenhe and I were talking and, yeah,” Chongyun clarified, a bit embarrassed. His voice sounded strained, and Xiao had to fight off the urge to punch him for being so dumb, as well as the urge to ask if he was okay over and over until Xiao could believe that he actually was. 

Ganyu made it back to the other three and considered Chongyun’s words. “That usually doesn’t happen, unless you're trying to get his attention or if Xiao is listening for it.” 

Shenhe, Chongyun, and Ganyu looked towards the adeptus. He just huffed, unsure if he actually was waiting for Chongyun to call, or if it was just some coincidence. “Regardless of the reason, I’m here.” 

“What happened?” Chongyun questioned, sitting up more against the tree. 

Almost immediately, Xiao replied, “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you that question? I wasn’t the one who passed out earlier,” he tried to let some of his concern leak into his tone, but the words came out far more harsh than Xiao would have liked. 

“About that-” 

“You’re not blaming him for passing out, are you?” Shenhe piped up, protectively. There was a volent look that spiked in her eyes. 

Xiao took a breath, that was the last thing he wanted Chongyun to believe. That he blamed him for this, or just about anything. “No, I’m not.” 

“Well it was kind of my fault. I mean, I was the one who skipped breakfast so-” 

Chongyun was interrupted again, by Ganyu this time. “You haven’t been buying him meals?” She questioned Xiao. 

Xiao’s eyes widened. That was just about the last thing on his mind at the moment. Was he supposed to be doing that? “Umm, no?” 

“I have plenty of money saved, so it’s not a big deal,” Chongyun offered, but was promptly ignored by Ganyu who spoke up again. 

“Oh my fucking archons,” she muttered at first. “So you’re telling me that he’s been paying for everything himself for the past however long he’s been your apprentice?” 

“Two months,” Xiao and Chongyun both offered in unison. 

Ganyu let out an exasperated sigh, and rubbed a hand over her face. “Xiao, take us to Liyue harbor. I’m treating us all to lunch, okay?”

“That’s really not necessary,” Chongyun said, glancing between Ganyu and Xiao. Xiao was about to say the same thing, but Ganyu was having none of his shit apparently. 

“It is necessary, you need to eat something,” Ganyu scolded. “Shenhe, you’re coming too.” 

“Oh, okay,” She replied simply, before standing up and offering a hand to help up Chongyun. Xiao noticed that there was the slightest bit of hesitation before he took her hand. One both stood up, they approached Xiao, as well as Ganyu. 

The half-adeptus looked at him expectantly, and Xiao huffed before he held out his left arm for the three of them to grab. Ganyu and Shenhe both had equally confident grips, but it was almost impossible to ignore the slight shake of Chongyun’s hand as it reluctantly gripped Xiao’s wrist. The adeptus took note of this, but eventually complied with Ganyu's request. Soon though, they were all standing at the front entrance of Liyue Harbor. 

Dark and heavy clouds stood out against the bright architecture Liyue provided, and things seemed rather desolate compared to the bustling crowds that Xiao expected of the harbor.

They all let go of Xiao’s arm, and Ganyu said, “The Harbor doesn’t seem busy today, so we can go just about anywhere. Any preferences, Xinyue Kiosk, Wanmin restu-” 

“No!” Chongyun blurted out all too quickly. Another thing worth noting. The young exorcist cleared his throat before continuing to say. “Um, just not Wanmin Restaurant, the food there is far too spicy for my liking.” 

“Oh, okay,” Ganyu paused, a puzzled look on her face. “How about we just look around and see what else is open then? Sound good?” 

Chongyun nodded, and Shenhe gave a short “Yes.”

“Let’s get going then,” The half-adeptus said with a smile, before gesturing for Shenhe and Chongyun to lead the way. The pair started forwards into the Harbor, and Ganyu almost followed before noticing that Xiao had yet to move from his spot. 

“It’ll be fine Xiao,” She assured him, without even having to hear why Xiao was hesitant. He normally didn’t like entering the Harbor unless he had to regardless. With the way that Xiao’s karma had started to take hold of him earlier, it was now the last thing he wanted to do. It was too risky, even with the lack of abundance of people that day. He was a danger to the people of Liyue, and he couldn’t risk-

“You don’t need to join us, Xiao,” Ganyu said, calmly. 

Xiao opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, and then did the same thing again. Like some poor socially inadequate goldfish who had gotten lost somehow. Finally, he sighed and said, “I’ll join you, I just-” 

“You can leave whenever you want, I know you’ll come back if we need you.” 

It was moments like that that made Xiao so fully aware of how unworthy he was to have people like Ganyu in his life. She was too kind, especially to someone like Xiao who was fully convinced that he deserved not so much as an ounce of kindness. This kindness he wished to repay tenfold, but he still didn’t know if he would ever know how. 

“Okay,” was all he said. 

Ganyu smiled, before turning to catch up with Shenhe and Chongyun, and Xiao almost followed before she spun around to face Xiao again. “I almost forgot,” she spoke before summoning a familiar object. “You took off your glove earlier, and I figured you wouldn’t want to lose it so…” 

“Oh, right,” Xiao reached out to grab the glove with his bare hand. As he took it, a small gasp escaped Ganyu’s lips. 

“Xiao, your.... your hand,” She pointed out, sounding something akin to scared. 

The events from before replayed in his mind, and Xiao instantly looked to inspect his hand. The sight was… well not a good one. His fingers were stained black, and the dark color trailed down to make his entire hand appear gray. The veins in his wrist held this same shade of black, and the color only spread further down his arm. It looked twisted and decayed, a stark contrast from Xiao’s otherwise human appearance. That was... probably not good, to say the least.

His shock must have been clear to Ganyu, for she said. “Is everything alright Xiao? That looks serious. Is it… is that from earlier when you left.” 

Xiao figured that the honest answer was yes, despite him not having noticed it before. But, despite his own worry, he didn’t want to burden Ganyu with his own ailments so he just said, “I have it handled. We should catch up with Chongyun and Shenhe.” Afterwards, he promptly pulled his glove back onto his hand, and entered Liyue Harbor. 

If he was going to go through with this, there was no point stalling any further. Besides, Xiao couldn’t help but feel a bit worried about Chongyun, so he chose to focus on that rather than his own situation. He would figure it out later, and the biggest lie that Xiao ever told himself was in that moment when he tried to believe everything was going to be fine.

Chapter Text

It started raining only a few minutes after Chongyun, Shenhe, Ganyu, and Xiao arrived in Liyue Harbor. It was just a light drizzle at first, but with a few more minutes, it turned into a heavy downpour. The already desolate Liyue became even more empty. The only people who were out and about were the Millelith and the estranged group of vision wielders. Shenhe and Chongyun found themselves standing under a staircase near the heart of Liyue to get out of the rain. 

The younger exorcist had his hood pulled up, and was huddled as far under the stairs as possible to remain out of sight. The floor was the only thing he really felt interested in at the moment, and he stared at it with all the intensity of someone who was running on less than three hours of sleep, no food, and excessive amounts of caffeine. He still felt exhausted, more so than before. But, when Chongyun initially came to and Ganyu questioned him to hell and back, she strictly instructed him not to drink any caffeine within the next twenty-four hours, so he would just have to manage. 

Shenhe on the other hand, was looking out near the edge of the cover that the stairs provided. Her long hair had managed to get itself drenched in the short time that Shenhe was in the open. “It’s almost impressive how we were able to lose Xiao and Ganyu after walking for just a few minutes,” she thought aloud. 

“Yeah,” was all Chongyun could bring himself to say. He felt a lot worse than he expected to feel upon arriving back in the harbor, mentally and physically. He felt dread pooling in his stomach every second, and that dread, mixed with a large dose of anxiety, was not going well with how tired he already was. 

He was shaking, and he really hoped he could pass it off as just being cold. The issue was, Chongyun didn’t get cold, at least not usually. So, he figured his earlier passing out could be used as an excuse. Was the young exorcist being paranoid? Yes, but he desperately didn't want to see a select bunch of people who resided in Liyue Harbor. Chongyun didn’t know how he would go about explaining that whole situation to Ganyu, Shenhe, and Xiao if they so happened to witness a confrontation between him and his ex-friends.

He just- he didn’t want to see Xiangling, or Xinyan, and especially not Xingqiu, okay? Not now, and maybe not ever. He didn’t know, and that was the problem. Chongyun was too tired to think about how he felt, and he honestly just wanted to go back to the Wangshu Inn and sleep. But, logically Chongyun knew that eating food was in fact, important, and he wasn’t going to say no to free food. 

“You seem nervous,” Shenhe pointed out, continuing to watch for Xiao and Ganyu. Chongyun looked up from the floor and towards his aunt. Her whole demeanor was as intimidating as ever, and Chongyun wasn't fully convinced that she didn't have eyes in the back of her head. 

"Is it that obvious?" He said with a defeated chuckle. 

"Yes," Shenhe put bluntly. "What's wrong?" 

Chongyun sighed. Despite his apparent lack of motivation and energy, he sat up further and took a breath. “There are some people in Liyue I’d rather not be seeing, and I guess I’m worried about… well seeing them.” 

The older exorcist hummed thoughtfully. “Who are these people?” She asked, a dark undertone in her otherwise stoic voice. 

“It’s not important,” Chongyun offered. Shenhe making a scene if one of Chongyun’s once-friends showed up would not be good, to say the least. Especially considering that she already had something of a vendetta against Xingqiu. 

“Given how anxious you seem, I’d say it’s important,” Shenhe said. She paused and sighed, “But I understand if you don’t want to tell me. I’m just worried about you, Chongyun” 

“It’s Xingqiu,” Chongyun blurted without thinking, then quickly added, “And Xinyan and Xiangling.” 

Another pause from Shenhe. Eventually she said, “the chef and Yun Jin’s musician friend? I thought those people were your friends?” 

“Yeah, well we’re not, okay?” Chongyun bit, a little too harshly. “At least not anymore.” 

Finally, Shenhe turned towards Chongyun. Her pale, piercing eyes met Chongyun’s own eyes, and he immediately looked back towards the floor. “What happened?” She asked, all too seriously. It was like Chongyun had just admitted to witnessing a murder. He didn’t want to tell Shenhe what happened, or anyone because he knew that they would over react. It was his choice to end his friendships, and he had his reasons. 

The reasons kept getting skewed in Chongyun’s mind, but he would be the last person to admit that. He wasn’t even sure how far he was willing to go for the sake of training anymore, but it’s not like it was easy to explain that to someone. He didn't even know if this was about training anymore, because while he still felt bad about how he'd ended his relationships, he couldn't help but feel... something that wasn't exactly bad about it either.  

While Chongyun wracked his brain for some kind of excuse to Shenhe's question, by some grace of the archons, Xiao walked up behind Shenhe and said, “Why are you two standing under the stairs?” 

Chongyun looked up towards the adeptus and promptly stood up. “Oh, we were waiting for you and Ganyu,” he said while brushing off the dust on his pants from the floor. 

Shenhe spun on her heels to face Xiao as well. Before doing so however, she did pass Chongyun a glance that said ‘We’ll talk about this later.’ Not that Chongyun wouldn’t try to avoid that conversation at all costs. When he gets at least twelve straight hours of sleep that is. If Shenhe tried to interrogate him in his current state, he might just give in and confess because he didn't have the energy to do anything else. 

“Speaking of which, where is Ganyu?” Shenhe cut in, peering behind Xiao. He too looked behind himself to see a surprising lack of Ganyu behind him. 

“Where the fuck-” 

“You know,” Ganyu’s voice said distantly. Chongyun, Shenhe, and Xiao all looked in the direction of the shout to see Ganyu walking down the street with an umbrella above her head, and a few more in her arms. “I’m pretty sure running around in the rain before going to lunch isn’t the most ideal schedule.” 

When the half-adeptus reached them, she handed each an umbrella. When she went to give Xiao his, however, he said, “I don’t need one.” 

In reply, Ganyu just gave him a look and said, “Take it.” Then, she just pushed the umbrella further towards Xiao before he finally gave in and took the item. 

“How did you get your hands on these so fast?” Chongyun asked as he opened the umbrella and held it over his head. 

“When you have worked for the Liyue Qixing  for as long as I have, you learn a thing or two about where to find things,” Ganyu remarked, and with that, the group was off. 

As they walked, Ganyu suggested Xinyue Kiosk as it was the closest, and with no objections, they started towards the restaurant. Chongyun didn’t fail to notice the slight tension between Ganyu and Xiao. It was odd, she kept glancing at him, and Xiao seemed to be avoiding eye contact like the plague. The two seemed thick as thieves when Chongyun saw them talking that morning, so he had no clue as to what could have changed. 

Nevertheless, Chongyun tried to ignore it. It wasn’t his business, and he was too tired to really care. So, he opted to keep his head down and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other for the time being. 

By the time Chongyun and his unlikely group of companions were seated at a table in the otherwise empty Xinyue Kiosk, Chongyun felt like he was about to pass out again. For no reason other than just how exhausted he was, and now that he was sitting, that exhaustion became all the more apparent. Shenhe and Ganyu were engaged in some kind of small talk that Chongyun had admittedly no interest in. It all just became background noise at some point. 

Almost as soon as the group had sat down, Chongyun plopped his head down on his arms. Years worth of table manners be damned, it’s not like anyone at the table with him, other than maybe Ganyu, would care. If she did care, she didn't say anything.

At some point or another, a waiter came to the table to ask about entrees. Chongyun wasn’t sure if they had even asked for drinks, but regardless, he had no clue what he wanted to order. He hadn’t so much as glanced at the menu, and in his short seventeen years of life, Chongyun had probably eaten at Xinyue Kiosk a grand total of three times. So, needless to say he was not prepared when the waiter asked him what he wanted. 

With all the energy he could muster, Chongyun lifted his head from his arms. “Um,” he looked at the ever knowledgeable Ganyu for salvation, and thankfully, she took the hint. 

“He’ll take the stir-fried fish noodles,” she answered. Chongyun was very much thankful that she picked something that didn’t sound spicy. Of all the things that could possibly go wrong (more than they already had that day) losing control of his yang energy would be the absolute worst.  While that may be a bit of an over exaggeration, Chongyun still dreaded the very real possibility of that happening.  

Before the waiter could move onto the next person, Xiao blurted out, “Make sure that’s served cold.” Archons, Chongyun could cry, these people- well, not technically people- were far too kind to him. 

“Okay, and what would you like, sir?” The waiter replied politely after jotting down something on the notepad in their hands. 

True to form, Xiao huffed and crossed his arms. “I don’t want anything, human.” 

“Xiao!” Ganyu scolded him. She quickly turned to the waiter, “I’m so sorry about him, he doesn’t get out much.” 

“Oh, it’s fine.” 

“No, it really isn’t,” Ganyu said, peering at Xiao who was sitting next to her. 

He mumbled something that Chongyun couldn’t quite make out, and then spoke up to say, “I don’t see any issue with what I said.” 

After that, Chongyun tuned out of the conversation once again. Now he could just sit and wait for the food to come out. Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy, and if he fell asleep in the process, well he didn’t really give much of a shit to be honest. So, with not an ounce of grace, Chongyun let his head fall back into his arms, and he didn’t even have to think before his eyes closed. 

That brief moment of rest was all too soon interrupted by hand on his shoulder. Chongyun took a breath and turned his head towards the owner of the hand: Shenhe. “Yes?” He asked, trying not to sound rude. 

 “About earlier when were talking-” 

“Can we not right now?” Chongyun requested weakly. 

Shenhe grimaced. “Okay, but,”  he turned away from Chongyun and pointed in the same direction. “I think that’s Xingqiu over there and-” 

“What!?” Chongyun cut in, looking over to where Shenhe was pointing. Dread washed over the younger exorcist as he recognized not only Xingqiu, but Hu Tao as well, being shown to a table by a hostess. A table just one away from Chongyun’s, and holy fuck. Holy fucking shit, why? Why of all the possible things that could happen, this did? And why then, when Chongyun was barely able to talk to people who he actually wanted to be around? 

Fate clearly had it out for him, and Chongyun was about ready to start openly cussing out  the Archons in the company of two adepti. 

He couldn’t see Xingqiu, not again. Not after how they left things off. Seeing Xinyan and Xiangling would be one thing, because then Chongyun would only feel like an asshole. But Xingqiu? Chongyun was very much still mad at him, among many other things that the exorcist didn’t want to acknowledge. As for Hu Tao, Chongyun didn’t know. He hadn’t seen her since the incident that led to the imminent end of he and Xingqiu’s friendship. 

“Shit,” was all Chongyun was able to say as his initial dread turned into fear as the pair of friends took their seats. Instead of focusing on this, he just focused on taking deep breaths to stay calm. He was fine, and this was fine. Yep, totally. 

Apparently Chongyun’s initial outburst after hearing about Xingqiu’s arrival alerted the attention of Xiao and Ganyu, for they stopped whatever bickering they were engaged in to look at the young exorcist. “Is everything okay, Chongyun?” 

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he replied a little too quickly. 

Ganyu gave him a look. "Okay, just relax until our food gets here," she offered, hesitantly. Then, she turned back to Xiao who, unbeknownst to Chongyun, was completely unconvinced that Chongyun was remotely fine in any sense of the word. Then again, Ganyu wasn't either. 

"Do you want me to get rid of them?" Shenhe's voice came from right next to Chongyun's ear, causing the already anxious boy to jump and turn violently towards her once again. His sharp movements shook the table, causing some of the glasses, and utensils to clatter. 

"What? No, I don't like what you're implying, Shenhe. I-I'll just ignore him, it's fine," Chongyun stuttered out. "Let's just wait for our foo-"

"Oh my Archons, is that my little Xiao-Xiao!" A voice interrupted Chongyun.  Hu Tao's voice to be exact. 

"You know what, I think I will take you up on that offer," Chongyun told Shenhe before he buried his head in his arms. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could unlock Xiao's secret to teleportation so he could teleport himself deep into the mountains where he will never have to speak to anyone again. Yeah, that would be great, and while Chongyun was busy trying to unlock the mysteries of space and time, he heard footsteps approach the table. 

"I haven't seen you in so long, how has it been?" The overly cheery parlor director asked. "I would have ever pegged you for the 'going into public settings,' type, but I'm so happy to see you've come out of your shell." 

"Hu Tao," Xiao greeted, clearly annoyed. 

"If you want to act like somebody just died, I have plenty of funerals for you to attend," Hu Tao said with a mischievous giggle. That's when something dawned on Chongyun: Hu Tao and Xiao knew each other. And we're, not only on a first name basis, but they seemed to be friends. Chongyun would have spent some ungodly amount of time analyzing this, but currently he was trying to pretend that none of this was happening.

"I think I'd rather get beaten by a toddler than have to attend one of your funerals," Xiao dead panned. 

The director mock-scoffed, "I'll have you know that I put a lot of effort into my work." 

"And I have no interest in solemn human gatherings where people stare at a corpse for hours at a time." 

"Well as long as it's not personal," Hu Tao said. Chongyun heard more footsteps after that, footsteps that got far too close to him for his liking. It seemed apparent by then that he wasn’t going to be able to magically teleport away. Instead of focusing on that, Chongyun turned his attention to praying that Hu Tao would by some miracle, not notice him. 

“I see you’ve also made some friends,” the director pointed out. “The infamous Shenhe, and Lady Ganyu of the Liyue Qixing. I’m so proud of you Xiao.” 

Xiao just sighed. “I’m honestly surprised you have any friends, Hu Tao.” 

“Aiya, I have plenty of friends. You, for one.” 

“Anyone else?” Xiao replied, heaps of sarcasm in his voice. 

Hu Tao hummed. “Why yes, Xiao-Xiao , I do have other friends. In fact, I’m here getting lunch with one of them. And I can name some others, Xiangling, Xinyan, Zhongli-”

“You are not friends with Zhongli,” Xiao corrected. 

“Whatever you say. But there’s also Yanfei, Chongy- Chongyun!?” Hu Tao exclaimed. 

That’s it, Chongyun was going to go right to Celestia and fight the first god he saw. it didn't matter if they were responsible for this or not, they probably deserved it. He figured he’d bite the bullet now so, very reluctantly, Chongyun sat up to face Hu Tao. Before he could go about greetings, Xiao asked Chongyun, “You know her?” 

“Yeah,” the young exorcist answered. “Hu Tao.” 

For once in her life, Hu Tao looked shocked. Her eyes wide, and jaw slightly slack. Within moments, she hid this shock by clearing her throat before saying, “It’s been awhile.” 

“Yeah,” Chongyun repeated. The exorcist was surprised the director was even talking to him, all things considered. With how he’d left his relationships with his other friends. Was he even still friends with Hu Tao? She said she still thought of him as one, so maybe. Chongyun didn’t know. 

“How did you end up being friends with Xiao? I mean, he’s not exactly the easiest guy to talk to-” Hu Tao glanced at Xiao. “No offense. But are you two all buddy-buddy now or something?” the director paused again, seeing to remember something. “Wait, is this about when you asked me how to get in contact with adepti?” 

With a sigh, Chongyun once again said, “Yeah.” 

“Hu Tao!” Xingqiu’s still painfully familiar voice called from across the room. Chongyun didn’t know if he wanted to go over and punch him or run away. In the end, he did nothing. 

Hu Tao turned towards Xingqiu, and quickly said, “Oh, I have to go order now, but we should talk later. It’s good to see you guys.” With that, she walked back over to her table and Chongyun promptly caved in on himself. 

“Well, she sure is interesting,” Ganyu spoke first, cutting through the silence that Hu Tao had left to hang in the air. “How did you two even meet?” 

“Long story,” Xiao said quickly before he turned his attention back to Chongyun. “Chongyun, how long have you known Hu Tao?” 

“A while, but can we just… Not talk about this right now?” Chongyun said, not even bothering to look up this time. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but he was definitely shaking. This was just, archons, it was a lot on top of everything that had already happened that day. Chongyun hadn't even thought about Hu Tao for awhile, so seeing her, along with Xingqiu of all people, well it wasn’t pleasant, to put it lightly. 

Xiao seemed hesitant to respond, but eventually he said, “Okay,” and left Chongyun to sit there in misery. 

Another conversation picked up between Ganyu and Shenhe, but both Xiao and Chongyun stayed relatively quiet as they all patiently awaited their food's arrival. The younger exorcist just tried to focus on that rather than the distant voices of Hu Tao and Xingqiu across the room. If he could just make it through this one stupid meal, then he could go back to the Wangshu Inn, pass out, and forget about this whole ordeal. 

Chongyun wasn’t sure how much time had passed at the restaurant, but one thing was for certain: Eating a solid meal made him feel worlds better, at least physically. While he was still very worn out, it felt like he was now capable of at least functioning. As for how he felt emotionally, well that was a completely different story. 

The looming presence of Xingqiu and Hu Tao throughout the course of the meal was enough to make Chongyun lose his appetite long before the food arrived, but once he took the first bite of his entrée he realized how famished he truly was. He was the first to finish eating, and Ganyu didn’t hesitate to scold him for eating too fast, but it didn’t hold any real aggression when she did so. 

As the half-adeptus and Shenhe were finishing their own food, the latter said, “It amazes me that this is the standard for every meal in Liyue. The food here is far better than the plants that I usually eat.” 

Ganyu chuckled and took a bite of the salad she had ordered. “It isn’t all bad.”

“I suppose not,” Shenhe replied, finishing the last of her Golden Shrimp Balls. 

“It amazes me that any of you are able to eat any of this,” Xiao commented, peering at the empty plates on the table. 

“Well in our defense, you don’t need to eat, Xiao,” Ganyu remarked, a small grin on her face. 

The adeptus looked like he wanted to retaliate, but ultimately said nothing. Chongyun noticed that the tension that had been between them earlier seemed to be almost completely gone. Emphasis on almost, because when Chongyun paid closer attention, he could clearly tell Xiao was still on edge, and Ganyu still gave him looks of concern. Shenhe was either unaware of this tension, or she just decided not to comment on it like Chongyun had chosen to do himself.

Either way, the group finished eating and Ganyu paid the bill without any major issues. The group left the restaurant, and Chongyun tried to make himself as small as possible when they walked past Xingqiu and Hu Tao’s table. The young exorcist swore to the archons that he could feel a glare on him. If he were a little less of a coward, he would have glared back. 

Once outside of the restaurant, it was revealed that the rain had not let up in the slightest. In fact, it had gotten worse in their time inside. Thunder rumbled deeply in the distance, and there wasn't any blue left in the sky. Despite the less then ideal weather, Chongyun couldn't help but feel more at ease outside than inside the restaurant. Plus, the continued bad weather was all the more reason to be grateful for Ganyu and the umbrellas she had miraculously got them earlier. 

“I can make my home from here, but it was great getting to see you all today,” Ganyu said politely. “Although, next time we are together, I would rather not have you pass out Chongyun.” 

The teen laughed weakly, “Yeah, sorry about that. But… Thank you for buying lunch, it means a lot.” 

“Don’t mention it. It was the least I could do. I know we have only met on brief occasions in the past, but I happily consider you a friend,” Ganyu smiled as she said this. A real, genuine smile that held so much affection. Affection that Chongyun knew he didn’t deserve. Not when he had pushed away so many people, and when he would eventually push away even more. 

He was a filthy hypocrite, but Chongyun replied, “I’m happy to call you a friend, too.”

With that, Ganyu’s smile grew, and she turned to Xiao to say something that Chongyun didn’t hear. Xiao grimaced, then nodded at her words before the half-adeptus opened her umbrella, and gracefully walked away. 

Xiao’s gaze lingered on Ganyu for a moment a strained look in his eyes, but after he took a breath, he turned to Shenhe and said, “Do you need me to take you home?” 

“Yes, if possible,” Shenhe answered, plainly. 

“Okay,” Xiao said, giving his surroundings once over before he turned to Chongyun. “I will be back, stay here,” the adeptus instructed. 

Chongyun just nodded before Shenhe said to him, “Chongyun, I look forward to seeing you again soon. There’s still a lot I want to teach you.” 

“I look forward to seeing you too,” Chongyun said, giving a small grin which Shenhe returned. Soon enough, Xiao grabbed her arm, and they were gone. 

Chongyun had a moment of peace where he was left standing under the awning of the restaurant. The pitter patter of rain on the structure above him, as well as on the pavement was just enough to be pleasant background noise. It was cool, and the dim light that the cloudy sky allowed was pleasant in a way Chongyun couldn’t quite explain. Chongyun reveled in this moment, allowing himself to take a deep breath that he felt like he had been holding all day. He still felt like shit, but at least he could have this moment just to collect himself. 

But, this moment was all too brief because Chongyun heard a voice that he had already heard enough of that day say his name. They call it 'a calm before the storm,' for a reason. He froze for a moment, keeping his eyes firmly focused forwards. Chongyun clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and slowly turned to face the person who said his name. As he opened his eyes, Chongyun had to try and ignore how nervous he was to meet those amber eyes. 

“What do you want Xingqiu?” He asked, not really wanting an answer. 

“I want to know what you’re doing here. It's been awhile, and I think you owe me an explanation,” Xingqiu answered anyway. He had this high and mighty look on his face, like he was some hero for confronting Chongyun. Because obviously he was the villain here. 

Chongyun rubbed his hand over his face. He was too tired for this shit. “Am I not allowed to be in Liyue? I kind of live here, y’know.” 

“I just figured you had taken the honor of moving on, considering that no one has seen you around recently. Not to mention the fact that you moved on from some other things rather quickly,” Xingqiu accused. Archons, could he be more pretentious? 

“What exactly is that supposed to mean?” Chongyun bit back. 

“I don’t know,” Xingqiu stated, crossing his arms. “What exactly is it supposed to mean when valiantly abandon all your friends, only to miraculously reappear, playing tea party with an adeptus, a member of the Liyue Qixing, and your auntie? They seem to be pretty distinguished individuals, so what? Were we just not good enough for you anymore?” 

Chongyun rolled his eyes. “You know what, no. I don’t need to deal with this right now.” The exorcist tossed aside Xiao’s instruction to stay there, and turned on his heels to walk away. He didn’t even bother with his umbrella as he stepped out into the rain, he just wanted to get out of there. But, just like Chongyun, Xingqiu was stubborn, and his hand latched onto the other boy’s wrist, and yanked him to face the other. 

“Are you seriously just going to walk away again?” Xingqiu demanded, glaring at Chongyun. 

Chongyun ripped his hand out of Xingqiu’s grasp. “Last time I checked, you were the one who got mad at me in the first place. What do you want me to say Xingqiu? I’m sorry I fucked up, okay.” 

“Fucked up? Chongyun, you did more than fuck up!” Xingqiu yelled, offended. Well that escalated faster then Chongyun expected, but he'd come to expect over-dramatics from Xingqiu a long time ago. “After you pulled your little stunt at the Wangshu Inn, Xinyan and Xiangling came back more upset than I’ve ever seen them! Xiangling was fucking sobbing when she told me that you suddenly decided that you were so graciously above being friends with her. That isn’t fucking up, that is very much an intentional action, Chongyun!” 

“Have you ever considered the fact that I have reasons for what I do, Xingqiu?” Chongyun retaliated, keeping his voice level. 

That only served to make Xingqiu more angry. “What reasons, Chongyun!? Training? Were you too busy trying to quell that little condition of yours that you didn’t realize that the people in your life are affected by your actions?” 

“Maybe I would have considered that more if you ever bothered to realize that your actions affect me , Xingqiu.” 

At this, Xingqiu scoffed like it was the most outlandish accusation he had ever heard in his life. “I’ll have you know that I always took your feelings into consideration. That’s what friends do. It just so happens that a lot of your feelings were really fucking stupid.” The tone that the bookworm used was condescending in all the worst ways. The same condescending that Chongyun couldn’t stand anymore. He'd had to deal with it one too many times from one too many people. 

“Here you go, thinking you’re always in the right again," Chongyun remarked.  

“Oh shut up, Chongyun-”

“Right, because it’s not like I have anything important to say, right!?” Chongyun shouted suddenly. Xingqiu paused, and it looked like he had something to say, but Chongyun cut him off before he could get started again. He'd been waiting to say these words for a long time, and now seemed like as good a time as any. So, Chongyun let himself go off, no longer caring about the repercussions. 

“It’s always Xingqiu, the chivalrous, witty, genius who always gets to talk, right!? The second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, who is such a hero, and his little friend Chongyun. That exorcist boy with the strange condition. You always know just what to say, because you have nothing but good, righteous things to say. So humble, and so fucking perfect!” Chongyun could see hurt starting to form in Xingqiu’s eyes, but he could bring himself to stop. “Well guess what Xingqiu? You’re not perfect!

“You’ve never been perfect. You’re not the gallant hero who saves the day. You fuck up too, you jump to conclusions too, you hurt people too! All of your stupid practical jokes, all made at my expense. Every high and mighty comment where you were pretending to give me advice, when you really just wanted to get a laugh at my expense. You always loved to think that you were so much better than everyone, especially me!

“Well, you are no better than I am. You hurt me too. So maybe if you would have stopped to realize that, even once, things could have turned out differently. But, you didn’t, so as much as you want to believe that I’m so awful, you were a shitty friend too, Xingqiu.” 

A heavy silence hung in the air, only broken by the sound of rain pelting on the ground. A breeze cut through the air, sending chills through Chongyun’s drenched body. He was breathing heavily, staring at Xingqiu's wide, shocked eyes. 

“You’re my best friend, Chongyun. I never wanted to hurt you-” Xingqiu tried, but Chongyun wasn't going to have it. 

“Well you did, and we’re not best-fucking-friends anymore, Xingqiu. So just move on,” Chongyun said harshly, clenching his fist once again. 

“I just thought that maybe, if you realized what’s been going on that you would- well…” Xingqiu paused, and directed his gaze to something on Chongyun’s belt. “I thought there was a chance that we could fix things.” 

Chongyun looked down to see what Xingqiu was looking at. It was the little blue and white tassel that Xingqiu had given him. It was almost laughable, almost. Chongyun looked up to meet Xingqiu’s eyes again. “You really think that just because I kept some stupid tassel that gave me, that I still wished we were friends? That we could fix things? Things can't just go back to normal Xingqiu.” 

Xingqiu glanced at Chongyun’s eyes, then they quickly darted towards the ground. “I-” He stopped himself short. 

Chongyun huffed and grabbed the small object that hung near his vision. “Well,” Chongyun proceeded to rip the tassel off of his belt and clenched it in his hand. I’ve already come this far, Chongyun thought, feeling just enough hesitation to realize that perhaps he was making a big mistake. But, he moved past that hesitation and tossed the object in his hand to Xingqiu. The bookworm reached out and clumsily caught the object. He looked down it with a hurt look that Chongyun was sure he would never be able to forget on his face. 

 “You can have that back. I don’t need it anymore. And besides, I’ve already moved on, right? You really should too.”

Chapter Text

Xingqiu picked up running almost as soon as the final words left Chongyun’s mouth. He didn’t even bother to hide the fact that he had started crying. The tears welled up in his before he could have even thought to try. As much as he would hate to admit it, Xingqiu was always the more emotional of the two. That stupid tassel was still clenched tightly in his hand as he sprinted down the rainy main street of Liyue Harbor. A loud sob escaped his lips as he ran, and Chongyun just stood and watched. 

A few short moments later, Hu Tao exited the restaurant.

“I heard yelling from inside, is everything alright?” She asked as she practically kicked open the door. She adjusted her hat then stepped fully outside to take a look around and, a puzzled look appeared on her face. “Chongyun? Why are you standing out in the rain? And where’s Xingqiu- Oh.” It became clear then that Hu Tao saw the blue clad figure running down the road. The same one that Chongyun was trying to convince himself wasn't real.

“What happened?” The director tried asking Chongyun, but he wasn’t really paying attention. He finally dragged his attention away from Xingqiu, and he looked at his hands as if they were covered in blood that wasn't his own. The weirdest part was the fact that he was kind of okay with that. Heavy breaths rang through his body as anger continued to course through his veins. He actually just did that. Holy fucking shit, was all Chongyun could think in that moment.

As his pervious words came out tumbling of his mouth, he felt like he was saying something that had been on the tip of his tongue for so long. Like their was an itch that was just waiting to be scratched that Chongyun had long forgotten about. Not just since he and Xingqiu’s first fight, but for years even, maybe even since they were kids. And he did it, he finally said it. It felt so good to say, but at the same time, Chongyun still felt awful. The mixed emotions came together, and it left Chongyun just feeling numb. The heavy rain pelted his cold his skin, but he hardly felt it. He just felt this odd buzzing throughout his body as the adrenaline slowly wore off. 

Perhaps it was the exhaustion that was adding to this feeling, or maybe it was something entirely different. It didn’t really matter, at least not to Chongyun. 

After a short while of just trying to collect himself, Chongyun unclenched his fists and then closed them again. He repeated this action a few times, just to be sure he was actually able to control his body. He was starting to come back to himself as the harsh reality of what he had just done set in. If felt like a weight was lifted off of his chest while another was simultaneously put in the same spot. Even still, Chongyun could still feel trace amounts of anger within himself that could never really go. Spite without the energy to really act on it. 

A few more moments passed before the exorcist looked away from his hands, to the front of Xinyue Kiosk. Hu Tao was still standing there clearly unsure of what to do, and she looked at Chongyun with wide eyes. “Chongyun?” She tried asking again. At least this time Chongyun was really listening. 

Without knowing what to say, Chongyun opened his mouth to try and say something, anything really, but then a short gust of wind bit through the air, and Xiao appeared next to Hu Tao. “Chongyun? What are you doing out in the rain?” He asked, giving his surroundings a lighting fast once over.  

Hu Tao turned to the adeptus, flung her arms in the air, and exclaimed, “That’s what I said!”

“Oh, Hu Tao,” Xiao remarked, and he glanced at the director. “Where’s your friend?” 

“You should be asking him that,” she answered, gesturing to Chongyun who was still standing in the rain. It only seemed to be coming down harder, and harder as time passed. He must have looked like an idiot, but he didn’t really care. 

Xiao looked back towards Chongyun and he tilted his head just enough to convey his confusion. With his, and Hu Tao’s eyes looking at him expectantly, Chongyun grimaced. “We got into a fight,” he admitted.  

“Did you win?” Xiao asked a little too fast, and a little too seriously. 

Hu Tao hummed in acknowledgement and suggested, “Well, Chongyun does have more brute strength than Xingqiu, but Xingqiu can be pretty crafty. I wouldn’t be surprised if he won. He could just be trying to make a hasty escape to cover his tracks.” 

“Chongyun has an advantage because of the rain, if they were using visions that is,” Xiao commented, clearly taking this into consideration. “Although, I don’t know what your friend is capable of.” 

“He’s a pretty adept fighter, but Chongyun here is as well. I’d say it was a fair fight, sucks that we missed it though.” 

Xiao huffed, “Yeah.” 

“What?” Chongyun finally said, not sure what to make of the conversation that was playing out before him. “We- We didn’t like… fight, fight. We just got into an argument.” 

“Well did you win that?” Xiao didn’t hesitate to ask. 

“No… Yes? Why does it matter?” Chongyun returned. Xiao and Hu Tao just shrugged. It was kind of off putting, seeing two of the most polar opposite individuals Chongyun had ever met in his life act so similarly. “Listen, can we just move on from this?” Don't be confused, he was asking this purely for himself here. 

“Suit yourself,” Hu Tao said with a misplaced grin. “I should go make sure that Xingqiu doesn’t drown in all this rain. He was dainty little legs and I don't think they're strong enough to swim. See you two later.” The director promptly summoned an umbrella, held it above her head, and hopped down the stairs. As she passed Chongyun, she reached up to ruffle his drenched hair. “Try not to be too hard on Xiao, he’s really just a big softie. Isn’t that right Xiao-Xiao?” 

“I think you should give that drowning thing idea a try,” He insulted, and Hu Tao just laughed in return. 

“Ciao!” And with that, she was off in the direction that Xingqiu had run in. For a brief moment, Chongyun just watched as she disappeared down the road. There was a slight bounce in her step, something that Chongyun found vastly inappropriate given the circumstances. Hu Tao sure was an interesting person, but when all was said and done, a part of Chongyun was happy that she was still in his life. 

This thought only served to make him feel worse, given that he’d essentially just shattered his already ruined friendship with his best friend. Nevertheless, it was a feeling Chongyun still had. Xingqiu was just… Chongyun didn’t know anymore. Maybe he was a different person when he and Chongyun originally became friends, and maybe as the years went on, the exorcist held onto something that really was lost a long time ago. 

Alternatively, maybe Chongyun acted too hastily, but it was too late now. What was said was said, and that was that. It wasn’t good, and it wasn’t bad, and Chongyun didn’t feel bittersweet, so he settled for the numbness that relentlessly clung to him. 

“So…” Xiao said with a twinge of awkwardness. This broke Chongyun out of his thoughts, and he faced his teacher as he summoned the umbrella that Ganyu had given him earlier. Xiao held it above his head, much like Hu Tao had done before. “You want to get out of the rain?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Chongyun admitted, finally bothering to summon his own umbrella. It wasn’t really worth much now, but Chongyun used it all the same. For Ganyu, he told himself. Xiao walked up to him, and looked over the street again. 

“Is there anything you need to do while we’re still here?” Xiao asked, sounding very unsure of his words. Chongyun tried not to pay too much attention to this. “If not, I can just take you back to the Inn now.” 

Chongyun could cry in relief, but before he went on to tell Xiao that everything was all good to go, the teen did contemplate the question. He didn’t feel like going back to the Harbor any time soon, so it was worth getting out of the way while they were there. After a bit of mulling it over, he remembered something. Something that he would later regret remembering. 

“I think I need to pick some things up at my house. I’ve been staying at the Inn for a while, and well… a lot of my clothes are either permanently blood stained, or torn,” The exorcist explained to his teacher. “Plus, I need to get some more money if I want to keep staying there.” 

An odd look appeared on Xiao’s face, but almost as soon as it arrived, it was gone. Chongyun had no idea why the adeptus was acting, even just the slightest bit strange. If Chongyun's social skills were bad before, then he didn't even want to know what they were considered now. After a moment, Xiao cleared his throat and said, “Well, I don’t know where your house is, so I can’t take us directly there, but if you can give me a general area-” 

“We can just walk,” Chongyun interrupted the adeptus. 

“Oh,” Xiao said, confused. “I just assumed that since you’re tired you wouldn’t want to.” 

Chongyun bounced on his feet and looked at the ground. “I am, it’s just… I think after that fight I just want some more time to calm down and clear my head, y’know?” 

“O-kay,” was all Xiao responded with. It looked like he wanted to say more, but he eventually chose not to. Chongyun didn’t really mind, he wasn’t really in the mood for small talk anyway. So, without another word, Chongyun set off on the familiar path towards his house, and Xiao followed close behind. 

There was still an air of unease from both parties. At least now Chongyun had the comfort of knowing he got the worst of the potential interactions out of the way. Even still, he tried to stay alert just in case. He was trying to push any and all thoughts of Xingqiu out of his mind. Being upset would only serve to drain the trace amounts of energy he had left. In his attempts to do this, Chongyun took to observe Xiao more closely as they walked side by side. 

He looked more on edge then Chongyun had ever seen him, and that was saying a lot. As aloof and uncaring as Xiao could seem, Chongyun had learned that he was always on alert, even in the most mundane settings. Currently, he was constantly glancing around like someone was watching them, or like danger lurked around every corner. 

In all honesty, Chongyun could admit that Xiao looked a bit out of place. Perhaps it was because Chongyun was so used to seeing Xiao when almost nobody else was around. On the other hand, it may have stemmed from years of hearing legends of the illusive Vigilant Yaksha, protecting unseen horrors from afar. Or maybe it was something else, Chongyun wasn’t quite sure. He wasn't so sure he even looked like he was meant to be traversing the domestic streets of Liyue Harbor either. 

After several more minutes of walking, the odd pair arrived outside of Chongyun’s house. The anxiety that had been lingering within Chongyun since he first stepped foot back in Liyue Harbor suddenly doubled, and made itself more then known. The exorcist had to physically force himself not to start shaking again. He just had to assure himself that everything was going to be fine. 

“Here we are,” Chongyun said to Xiao as he gave a small gesture towards the house. Xiao just hummed and took a step forward in examination. The exorcist sighed and attempted to compose himself. It was only when Chongyun reached into his pocket for his keys that he remembered that he didn’t have them.  In his defense, he didn’t think he was going to end up there when he got ready that morning. Even still, not having his keys was definitely not good. Still, he couldn't help the small amount of relief that came over him at this realization. This relief however, would be short lived.

“Huh,” he whispered to himself as he felt through his pockets once more. Xiao caught this action, and before Chongyun could react, the adeptus put a hand on his shoulder, and the two were inside. Chongyun quickly glanced around, and eventually came to the conclusion that yes, they were in fact inside of his house. The same entry way that led to that same living room and kitchen that he'd known for years.

Oddly enough, it looked like almost nothing had been moved, let alone touched since he had left about a month ago. Even in the dim lighting that came from the open windows, that much was evident. Not an item out of place, and it was weird. After a month of being gone, anyone would expect a difference, but then again, it’s not like Chongyun even paid much attention to the details of the place. For the most part, he tried to stay at his house for as little time as possible. He supposed that was another thing that hadn’t changed. 

It’s not as if he spent a lot of time with his parents. There was no, ‘family time,’ in his family, and that was something Chongyun had come to terms with a long time ago. He preferred it that way anyhow. Chongyun's parents weren't exactly the easiest people to be around.  

“So this is your home,” Xiao said after taking his own look around the main area of the house. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Chongyun replied, and he took a few steps further inside. On a table near the door sat a lamp, and the exorcist quickly lit it, successfully lighting up the room enough to see clearly.

Xiao stepped even further inside and approached the dining table. He ran his hand over the surface of the table, then looked at the fingertips of his gloves. That poor dining table was almost never even touched, even when Chongyun was still actively living there. Chongyun would either pack his own meals for when he left to train, or he would just eat at Wanmin restaurant. “Why do you say it like that?” Xiao asked. 

Chongyun took this into consideration. Eventually he came up with an answer. “I guess there are just better places to call ‘home.’” 

“Where exactly?” 

“I don’t know,” Chongyun said after a little too much hesitation. Then he took a breath and took another good look at the place he grew up in. Sure, it was his, and it was familiar, and it was everything he'd come to know over the course of seventeen long years, but Chongyun had to admit that it never felt like where he was meant to be. There was an answer to Xiao's question sitting in the back of his throat, and eventually it came out. “The Wangshu Inn, I guess.” 

A rare and short-lived chuckle escaped Xiao’s lips, causing Chongyun’s eyes to dart across the room and look at the adeptus. He had something of a fond grin on his face that would hardly be noticeable to the untrained eye. It was… well not an expression that Chongyun had come to expect from his teacher. “It’s not a bad place to call home,” Xiao said.

With the emotional rollercoaster that that day had been, Chongyun would have broken down sobbing right then and there if he were a little less tired. Instead, he returned Xiao’s smile, and by some miracle it was real. The subtle warmth that came with a real smile washed over Chongyun, and for once in his life, he didn't reject it. Archons, did it feel good, too. 

After that brief moment, Chongyun peered towards the hallway that led to his, and his parent’s respective bedrooms. “I’m going to get my things, I’ll be right back,” he said to Xiao who had all too quickly gone back to looking around the dining area and kitchen. The adeptus just huffed shortly in reply. 

When Chongyun first entered his bedroom, he couldn’t help but cringe at how much of a mess it was. He really did leave in a hurry, didn’t he? Books were left open on his desk, his bed wasn’t made, and many items were just strewn about with no rhyme or reason. Cleanliness be damned, he supposed. Ignoring the urge to clean up, Chongyun lit a lamp in his room, making the mess even more painfully visible. Chongyun approached his dresser with all the urgency in the world. He was here to get clothes and money, that’s all. 

Before he had the chance to start packing his things, Chongyun caught his reflection in the mirror he had hung on his wall. Urgency was thrown out the window , and he paused to fully face himself and gaze over his appearance decrepit. It was the first time he’d really taken the time to do this in awhile. The only mirror in Chongyun’s room at the Inn was in the bathroom which he usually just used to be sure was presentable enough to go out.

In his current state Chongyun looked, well there is no way to sugar coat this, he looked like absolute shit. His hair was still drenched from the rain and his bangs clung awkwardly to his forehead. His clothes too were drenched, and heavy, destroying Chongyun's already imperfect posture. They hung on his body, working to expose his frame, and were even torn in some spots. Now that Chongyun was actually looking, it was clear that he’d gained a lot of muscle in the last couple months. Directing his attention away from that single positive to his face, Chongyun almost gasped at the sight. 

There were dark, purple bags under his eyes, that did his heavy exhaustion a little too much justice.  As well as that, he looked a lot paler than usual. This only served to make the scar on the underside of his jaw the, the one on his left cheek and a newer one that was alarmingly close to his right eye more visible. He looked like a buff and drenched cat who’d just gotten into a rough fist fight with some drunk guy on the street who didn’t know his own strength. That wasn’t really a look that Chongyun could make work, to say the least. Then again, it wasn't an easy look to pull off. 

He hardly recognized himself, and Chongyun didn’t know quite how to process that. He was a stranger standing in some poor exorcist boy’s bedroom. That boy had no idea what he would get himself into one day. He would make new friends, find a new home, and it was kind of horrifying to realize that he would become someone so different in such a short amount of time. Yet, the change was also comforting, in some strange sense of the word. That meant that he really was getting stronger, and he was getting one step closer to becoming an exorcist again. 

That’s what this was all for, and it was worth it, and it was what he wanted. More then anything in the whole world. Chongyun would tell himself that over, and over, and over again because it was the truth. Every loss, and every ounce of pain that he had gone through and was still going to go through was worth it. It was necessary, it was fine, and it was how it was meant to be.

But in that moment, Chongyun couldn’t quite convince himself that that was true, and for once, maybe that was fine. 

After a few more agonizing moments of gazing at his own reflection later, Chongyun finally snapped out of his daze and turned back towards his dresser. He still had to get what he came there for, and he didn’t want to spend any more time than necessary in Liyue Harbor, let alone that room. 

A short while later of Chongyun haphazardly throwing clothes and his mora savings into a bag, he finally exited his bedroom. Back in the main area of the house Xiao was rummaging through a drawer in the kitchen. Chongyun adjusted his bag on his back and peered at the adeptus. “Xiao, what are you doing?” He asked, thoroughly confused. 

“Why do humans need so many different knives? Doesn’t one work just fine?” Xiao queried as he held up a larger knife in front of his face.  

Chongyun just blinked. Yeah, he was definitely too tired to even think of a cohesive answer to that one. “To have options for stabbing,” he eventually settled on. 

Xiao faced Chongyun and glanced from the knife to his student a few times. “I never thought of that,” he admitted. 

Chongyun just gave a noncommittal chuckle. “Well, can we go now?” 

Xiao nodded and placed the knife back in the drawer, closed it, then started to walk towards Chongyun. It looked like he was home free from here. That was until a sound echoed through the house that made Chongyun’s heart stop. He and Xiao both turned towards the front door, only to see the door handle being rattled, accompanied by the sound of keys jingling from outside. 

Frantically, Chongyun looked back at Xiao with an expression that he hoped read as, ‘hide.’ Luckily, Xiao got the message loud and clear. He pointed down the hall to let Chongyun know where he was going, and teleported away with a puff of wind. Mere moments afterwards, the front door opened, and Chongyun was frozen in place. For fucks sake, he wanted to scream loud enough for the whole of Celestia to hear. In the end, he didn't. Rather, he stood at the edge of the hallway like a deer in the headlights.  

There in the entryway of his house stood Chongyun’s mother. She closed the door behind her and closed the umbrella in her hands before casting it away. She also took the time to take off the coat she was wearing, then hung it on a hook by the door. All of her movements would have been enough to make Chongyun flinch if she were any closer. Perhaps the silent wait before the woman finally noticed her son standing across the room from her was worse then her scolding him as soon as she entered the building.  

It's not like it hadn't happened before. 

The two shared a moment of eye contact that felt like dreadful eternity to Chongyun. His pale blue, tired eyes looked into his mothers light, sharp and multicolored eyes that reminded the teen a little too much of Shenhe. Chongyun didn't want to think of his aunt when looking at his mother, for there wasn't an ounce of kindness in her eyes. 

“I haven’t seen you home in awhile,” Chongyun’s mother said, slipping off her shoes before she stepped further inside. From there, she glared at the floor, which had wet footprints across it. “Although, it seems you wasted no time making a mess.” 

“I’m sorry, mother. I can clean it up if you want,” Chongyun offered without even thinking. He was running on auto pilot at that point. 

The woman just huffed and said, “No, it’s fine. I’m sure you have much more important things to do anyway.” There was this subtle harshness to every word that Chongyun wished he could run away from, but alas, he felt like if he tried to move then, he would just collapse on the floor, pathetic as ever. 

From there, Chongyun’s mother stalked even further into the house, carefully examining her surroundings as she did so. Not an inch of the house was left unchecked, even in the short time that she looked it over. She didn't observe things in the same protective way that Xiao always did. This was more like a predator looking for its prey. Any vital flaw she could find, just to point out. It was horrifying. 

“Oh, okay,” Chongyun mumbled, shifting his weight on his feet uncomfortably. “Where is father?”

Chongyun’s mother sat herself down on the living room couch, her back now facing Chongyun. She crossed one leg over the other, and reached over to pick up a novel. She opened it to the bookmarked page and held it in front of her. “He’s finishing up a commission that we were working on. The two of us have had a lot on our plates since you stopped your work. It's been so disappointing to have to do everything without our son.” 

“I see,” was all Chongyun could think to say. 

“So, I assume you have been training. I would hate for you to be wasting your time going on little escapades with those friends of yours,” she commented, coldly. Colder than any ice that that could come directly from Chongyun’s cryo vision. Colder then the lake that he once sat in on the top of dragon spine. It was a cold that burned, and Chongyun felt like he was on fire. 

“I have been training, yes.” 

“A friend of mine said she saw you at the Wangshu Inn not too long ago. Have you been staying there?” She flipped the page in her book like this was some casual conversation. Not the first conversation that she'd had with her oh, so precious son in over a month. The same son who she swore she loved, and pitied so very much. 

Chongyun felt  a wave of horror wash over him. Although, underneath that horror was an anger that only burned him more, not that he would ever admit to it. Something about his mother knowing that he was staying at the Inn felt wrong. It was supposed to be somewhere he could forget about, well this, and actually focus. Somewhere that he could go to get away from everything, including her. Chongyun didn't want to give an answer, but he felt he had to. “Yes, I have. There are less distractions, and it’s easier to train out there.” 

“I take it you’ve made progress with your condition then. It has been quite some time, and it would be rather pathetic if you achieved nothing. I just want to best for you, sweetheart.” 

“Yes, I have,” Chongyun said a little too quickly. He didn’t even know if he had made progress there, but giving that answer was the safest option. 

“Good,” Chongyun’s mother said, closing her book and setting it back on the table in front of her. She stood up and met Chongyun’s eyes once again. “Then I assume you wouldn’t mind showing me.” 

“What?” 

“Show me that you have made progress,” the woman repeated, stalking towards the kitchen. Once in the area, she opened a cabinet and pulled out two glasses, filled them both with water, set them on the counter, then opened a different cabinet nearby. Chongyun remained frozen in place, stuck in confused shock until he saw what his mother was pulling out of the other cabinet. Two jars: one full of Flaming Flower Stamens, and the other full of Mist Flower Corollas.

“Mother, I don’t think that this is necessary-” 

“You don’t talk to me that way, Chongyun," She scolded, keeping her tone light. It felt demeaning, and Chongyun hated it with every fiber of his being. "Besides, if you've made progress, this will be no harm at all."

“Yes, mother,” Chongyun said, defeated. He brought his left arm up to grab onto his right and looked to the floor. His argument with Xingqiu earlier be damned, this was the worst possible thing that could have happened that day. Hands down. 

The exorcist heard more shuffling from the kitchen, and then heard his mother demand, almost kindly, “Come here, Chongyun.” 

He took a deep breath, trying to stay as calm as possible. He wasn’t even shaking, he was just trying to pretend that things were okay. After a long moment of hesitation, he slid the bag he had on off of his back, looked up to meet those painfully familiar eyes, and approached his mother. It was better just to get this out of the way, he supposed. 

Chongyun's mother pointed to one of the glasses of water on the counter. “I added a Flaming Flower Stamen to this glass. Just drink as much of that water as you can without losing control of your yang energy. If you can drink the whole thing, we can talk about you going back to being an exorcist. If you can’t finish it, well there’s this glass,” she pointed to the other glass. “That I put the Mist Flower into. It will null the effects, and you will have to go back to training.” 

Chongyun took a shaky breath, and gazed at the glasses as if he could wish them away. “Okay,” was all he said. The teen bit the inside of his cheek, perhaps a little too hard, and reached out to pick up the first glass. It was hot, almost hot enough for him to drop the glass. Perhaps the scar tissue that covered his hands really was coming in handy. This wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been, right? Right. The water could also be spicy. He just needed to drink it, and it’s not like anything horrible could happen. It could just make this impossibly horrible day even worse, and maybe burn his throat too. Chongyun didn't know, it's not as if he had much experience with hot things. 

Giving his mother one last glance to see if there was any remorse in her eyes, Chongyun found nothing. Just that same cold look that he’d gotten used to years ago. It was now or never. His chance to finally do something right by his mother, even if he hated himself for it, and even if it hurt. 

He raised the glass to his lips and felt the heat radiating off of it. Then, more quickly then he could process in his current state Chongyun felt a gust of wind across the room, and no more than a second later, he felt a hand grab his wrist and he was no longer in his kitchen. Rather, he was on the balcony of the Wangshu Inn. A bit startled, Chongyun dropped the glass in his hand and it shattered on the ground in front of him. 

“Shit,” was all he said before he looked up to see Xiao facing him. The exorcist was expecting some kind of a stoic expression that always seemed to be on Xiao’s face, but he was met with something entirely different. Worry was all Chongyun could see in his teacher's eyes. Real genuine worry and concern that was far deeper than Chongyun would ever truly be able to understand. Xiao's eyes were wide, and his jaw as slack, and Archons, he'd just saved Chongyun. 

Xiao let go of Chongyun’s wrist and said, “Chongyun, what the fuck was that?” 

“I-” he tried to say something, but Chongyun couldn’t find the words. All he could really do was stare at Xiao blankly. That had just happened, and he'd almost- Archons.  A long moment passed, and Chongyun just tried to focus on the fact that he was no longer trapped there with his mother. There was no longer a cup of alarmingly hot water in his hand. He was back at the Inn, and he was okay. And Xiao saved him. 

Rain fell on the roof above them, and the waters of Dihua Marsh rose in the distance under the cloud covered sky. Thunder rumbled softly from that sky, and Chongyun was okay. “I’m so sorry you had to see that,” he finally said. He didn't know if there was anything else he could say. 

“You don’t need to apologize for anything, Chongyun. I should apologize for pushing you too hard, and forgetting to make sure you were taking care of yourself. ” Xiao replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Xiao sighed, grimaced. “I should have gotten you out of there sooner.” 

“But I-"

“Nope, you’re going to go get some rest now. We can talk about this when you don't look like you're about to pass out again” Xiao then grabbed Chongyun’s wrist again and brought him to an Inn room. Chongyun glanced around, but he didn’t quite recognize it. 

“This isn’t my room,” Chongyun informed simply. 

“I know,” was all Xiao said before he walked over and slung the bag that Chongyun had left on the floor of his house earlier on a chair. “It’s my room, but I never use it. So, rather than letting you get charged every night you stay here, I’m letting you use it. You shouldn’t have to pay to stay in your own home.” 

Chongyun’s jaw went slack in surprise. “This really isn’t necessary.” 

“It is,” Xiao stated. “Now please get some rest, for fucks sake. You need it." With that, he suddenly turned around to exit the room properly. 

Xiao couldn't take so much as a step before Chongyun said, "Wait, Xiao I-" He... he didn't know where he was going with that, but the adeptus turned around to face his student. Then, in a moment of impulse, Chongyun stepped forwards and hugged Xiao without so much as a single thought. He didn't care anymore, he just needed to be a little more selfish that day for the sake of his own sanity. He needed to prove to himself that Xiao was actually there. That he hadn't finally collapsed, out blacked out due to his yang energy again and was just dreaming this all up. 

For a moment, Chongyun just clung to Xiao for dear life, and eventually, Xiao hugged him back, albeit a but awkwardly. Archons, did it still feel nice. 

The pair stood like that for a long while before Xiao broke the silence and said, "I promise, I won't let anyone even get close to hurting you like that ever again." 

Chapter Text

Chongyun sluggishly rolled over in bed, haphazardly detangling himself from the covers. His consciousness was finally coming back to him, albeit very slowly. Every minor movement made it feel like his body was being weighed down, begging him to fall back into his slumber. The light sound of rain that had yet to let up was like a lullaby, and the dim light that flooded in through an open window would make it so easy to sleep for another however the fuck many hours. True to form, however, Chongyun pushed himself to sit up in his half asleep haze, only to be met with a sudden headache that did wonders in terms of waking him up. Okay, so maybe he should lay back down. 

Chongyun, stubborn as ever, did not in fact lay back down. Instead, he took the time to survey the room he found himself in an attempt to reorient himself and ignore his head. It was smaller than he remembered, and some of the furniture looked different, not to mention in slightly different places. Chongyun looked towards the window on his room's wall, and the view was… also different. 

This wasn’t Chongyun’s room, and that sudden realization was enough to send a jolt of panic through the exorcist. He nearly jumped out of the bed he was still sitting in, the bed that evidently was not the one he had been paying for over the last month, but then memories of yesterday started to come back to him. 

Training with Shenhe, passing out, going back to Liyue Harbor for lunch, fighting with Xingqiu… his mom, and finally coming back to the Inn. Xiao brought him back to the inn, and that made the exorcist feel some kind of way that certainly wasn’t good, given the circumstances. Xiao had given Chongyun this room so he could keep training without having to worry about paying for a room every night. An odd sense of relief flooded over the teen. Thank the archons he hadn’t accidentally walked into the wrong room and passed out there in some exhausted haze. 

The exorcist shifted and brought a scarred hand up to place against his throbbing head. His headache only got worse with very passing moment, and like hell if he wasn't going to focus on fixing that first.  If he had learned anything after the events of yesterday, it was that he shouldn’t skip meals, and while Chongyun wasn’t sure how long he was asleep for, he was sure that eating something would do him some good. So, with a bit more effort than what most would consider necessary to do so, Chongyun pushed off the covers, and got out of bed. 

After digging through the haphazardly packed bag that Xiao had left in the room for him, Chongyun went about getting ready for the day. A day that he could only hope to be much more uneventful then the last. He was still tired, but significantly less so, and he would take what he could get. Then again, Chongyun wasn’t sure he could take any more emotional turmoil for at least the next week or so regardless of how tired he was. 

Just as he finished slipping on his shoes, a knock came from the door of the room. Chongyun quickly walked over and opened said door to be met with the sight of the one and only Verr Goldet. “You’re awake,” she observed. Afterwards, she practically threw a bag at Chongyun. He had to scramble to catch it, and nearly failed at doing so. “Those are the things from your old room, Xiao asked me to bring them over for you.” 

After collecting himself and setting the back down next to his feet, Chongyun replied, “Thank you… Are you sure it’s okay for me to be staying here? I mean, I can still afford-” 

“This is Xiao’s room, and he gets it free of charge,” Verr interrupted the teen. “He can do what he wants with it as long as he doesn’t trash the place. If that means that he lets you stay here, then that’s fine by me. So, just don't go around destroying everything, okay?” 

Chongyun opened his mouth to speak, but Verr continued. “Besides, myself and the rest of the Inn staff have taken notice of you. We know you’re here to stick around, and we’re happy to have you. Don’t think this means you get freebies on everything though… maybe just a discount,” and with that Verr gave Chongyun a smile and walked away before he could get another word in. 

Well that was certainly not the interaction he was expecting to start the day with, but it was far from a bad one. A part of Chongyun wanted to call after Verr, but he wasn’t exactly sure what he would say. So, he just picked up the bag once more and carried it over to the chair that his other bag sat upon. Without much care for the contents, he dropped it on the ground, and called it good. 

Realistically, Chongyun knew that he should probably unpack, at least a little bit, but he still had a feeling that he was in a space that wasn’t entirely his own. Xiao had done so much for him, so it really wasn’t hard to believe that he would give up his room for him. Even still, Chongyun decided to leave his things where they were for now. In the meantime, he wanted to get some food and take his mind off of things while he still could. 

After eating, rather than going up to the balcony to meet Xiao as he normally would, Chongyun decided to take a little time to himself, if only to rest more for the potential activities Xiao had planned for that day. Maybe there were a plethora of other reasons that Chongyun would rather not admit to. The exorcist knew that if Xiao needed him for something, he’d be able to find him. There was also a part of Chongyun that knew he didn’t really want to face Xiao after what happened, but it wasn’t important. 

So, Chongyun found himself taking a walk around the Wangshu Inn. The umbrella Ganyu had gifted him really was coming in handy as the rain still intently fell from the overcast sky. It was amazing how many little nuanced beauties Chongyun had missed throughout Dihua Marsh, even in the excessive time he had spent there. The way the drops from the sky disturbed the usually calm water mixed with the light haze that hung over the marsh gave it an odd feel that Chongyun couldn’t explain. 

Lost in the scenery around him, Chongyun almost didn’t notice how numb he felt. Not emotionally that is, although perhaps that was a part of it. Numb in the sense that his actions didn’t feel like his own. Each step of the unpaved ground felt miles away, and the drops of rain that fell on him felt like nothing at all. He clung to his lingering headache for a reminder that he could still feel anything at all. 

Chongyun did his best to ignore the familiar feeling, but that was doing him no good. Either way, he continued his walk as usual. If he only started to feel, for lack of a better word, worse as he walked, he wasn’t going to pay it any mind. 

The exorcist spent his walk trying to forget that the rest of the world existed so he could focus on the fact that he still did. After roughly an hour being out, he found his way back to the Wangshu Inn. It’s not like it was exactly hard to lose, even in his state. The Wangshu Inn stood tall in the center of Dihua Marsh, like a beacon for visitors to flock to. As he worked on auto pilot to get back to his new room at the Inn, Chongyun almost missed the small greeting that Verr paid him as he made his way back through the lobby.

“What? Sorry,” Chongyun said after registering that something was said to him, he just wasn’t sure what. He blankly looked at Verr who was in her usual position behind the front desk, who gave him a skeptical look in return. 

“I just said hello," She paused, looking Chongyun over. “I know you were asleep for a long time earlier, but are you sure you don’t need more rest? You look kind of out of it.” 

The exorcist had to take what was probably a moment too long to fully take in these words. “Oh… No, I'm not really tired anymore, at least not tired enough to fall back asleep. It’s just…” Chongyun had no idea how he was going to explain this, so he didn’t. “It’s nothing. Also, about earlier-” 

“I don’t want to hear it,” Verr scolded lightly, a grin on her face. “I mean what I said, and you’re just going to have to accept it alright?” 

Chongyun looked more intently at Verr in surprise, but he took her words into account. A grin too, found itself on Chongyun’s face, although his was a lot more forced. Scratch that, it was entirely forced. Then, he said, “Sure thing, Verr.” With that, Chongyun made a swift departure back to Xiao’s- his room. 

Once behind closed doors, Chongyun didn’t really know what to do with himself. He looked over his surroundings like it was the first time he had ever seen them. He needed to- he didn’t really know. Everything look so far away, but it felt suffocating at the same time and he hated it, and it was overwhelming but it also wasn't. With his back firmly pressed against the entrance to his room, Chongyun took a deep breath and pushed himself off of the door to walk to the bathroom. 

The teen didn’t hesitate to splash an excessive amount of cold water in his face to try to come to his senses. He just needed to ground himself, it wasn’t that hard. And besides, he was fine that morning, well, maybe not fine, but he was better than he was now. Chongyun looked at himself in the mirror, keeping his hands braced against the bathroom counter. “You’re fine, there is no reason for you to be feeling like this.” He said to himself, trying to make his words as clear as possible. 

After a long moment of having the most intense staring contest in the world with himself, Chongyun released the breath he didn’t know he was holding and dropped his head to look down at the sink. He closed his eyes and breathed out, “Archons, what the fuck is wrong with me?” 

For another long while, Chongyun just stood like that before he finally felt like he had enough control of his own body and mind to move. With a much needed deep breath, Chongyun stood normally and exited his bathroom. As he let the door close behind him, he ran a hand through the front of his hair, allowing it to fall right  back in front of his face afterwards. The exorcist took a look around his new room once again, noticing nothing different from the last time. 

Rather than dwelling on his current emotional turmoil, Chongyun figured it was as good a time as any to go and meet Xiao, if he was even waiting for him. He needed some kind of distraction, and the encounter  was going to happen eventually, so there was no use in avoiding it. The adeptus’ schedule, however,  was beyond Chongyun in every sense of the word. Perhaps if the archons decided to have mercy on him today, Xiao would be busy conquering demons, as his title implies. Then he could find something else to occupy his mind with that was more bearable for the time being. 

Just as the teen was about to march over to the room’s exit, a gust of wind carried through the room, and Xiao appeared. 

“Well that was convenient,” Chongyun said aloud. In all reality, he wanted to continue out the door and pretend he ever saw Xiao in the first place. 

“What was?” Xiao asked noncommittally. Chongyun was going to attempt to answer, but Xiao continued on despite his question. “Never mind. How did you sleep?” 

Chongyun blinked, “fine.” He paused, attempting to come up with more of an answer. “Enough to not pass out again,” he settled on. 

“Well, good,” Xiao commented curtly, looking Chongyun over. His eyes narrowed slightly, and Chongyun shifted his weight from foot to foot. He looked at his hands rather than paying any further attention to Xiao’s actions. He was already out of it, and he didn’t want to worry over little details. Xiao then cleared his throat before adding, “So um, how are you… feeling?” It sounded more like Xiao was questioning his own words, rather than questioning Chongyun. 

“Not the best,” Chongyun admitted honestly while fiddling with his hands. 

“Oh,” was all Xiao said at first. There was a long moment of agonizing silence while Chongyun felt over each of his fingertips with his thumbs. As per usual, it felt like we wasn’t feeling much of anything. Shot nerve endings against shot nerve endings, and the calluses on his hands from years of fighting did nothing to help. 

As Chongyun was busy examining his hands as if they held all the secrets to the universe, he heard Xiao’s light footsteps approach him. Before he knew it, he was no longer looking at the Wangshu Inn’s wooded floors, but rather a faded red rug in a dimly lit room. Chongyun looked up to face Xiao, but the adeptus had already walked over to a table that was stood against the back wall of the room. 

“Where are we?” Chongyun asked, further examining the building. A single lantern hung from the center of the ceiling, covering the room in a soft orange light. Green drapes dangled from the base of the lantern and connected to the walls on either side. The table that Xiao had approached had a tablecloth that matched the rug, and had a few assorted dishes laid across it. 

Xiao went ahead and lit a few sticks of incense to offer them before a large bird statue that was also on the table. “Pervases Temple. He was a Yaksha who died in the archon war,” Xiao explained as he finished up his task. Afterwards, he just looked at the statue of who Chongyun could only assume was Pervases.

“I’ve heard of this place,” Chongyun thought aloud, placing a hand on his chin. “I thought it was destroyed.” 

“It was,” Xiao spoke, keeping his eyes locked on the statue. “But it was rebuilt by a human around a year ago.” 

“I’m surprised I never noticed it before,” the teen glanced out the open entrance of the temple to see a familiar landscape outside. It was right next to the path that he and Xiao would walk almost every day in the early days of his training. 

Xiao just hummed in reply. Chongyun took a few more moments to examine the temple before he directed his attention back to Xiao. “Can I ask why we’re here?” The exorcist tried, noticing how Xiao had not moved an inch, aside from having tightly clenched his left hand.  “Is everything alright, Xiao?” 

There was a long pause, filled by nothing but the sound of the rain falling outside. Chongyun focused on that as he awaited a response. Eventually, Xiao took a breath and said, “I take it you know the story of the five Guardian Yakshas?” 

Chongyun tilted his head in confusion and tried to figure out where Xiao was going with this. “Yes, I do.” 

“Then you know that I have… lost things in my life,” The adeptus began. He sounded different than usual, more strained, more emotional. “I’ve witnessed horrors beyond human comprehension, and I’ve done even worse myself. I’ll spare you the details, because they’re not important. But I have also-” Xiao hesitated, taking another deep breath. “I’ve had things done to me as well and… and that’s not something that I- anyone can just move on from.” 

Suddenly, Xiao looked at Chongyun with what the teen could only describe as empathy in his eyes. This only served to confuse Chongyun further, because in his head, there was nothing for Xiao to empathize with. Whatever Chongyun had gone through in his life could in no way compare to whatever his teacher had experienced. Xiao had been through things that no human could even hope to withstand. All of his own struggles were nothing next to that. 

“Chongyun, what your mother tried to do to you yesterday, has she ever done something like that in the past?” Xiao asked, sounding more serious than Chongyun had ever heard him in their time knowing each other.  

The suddenness and the nature of the question was enough to make the exorcist recoil. He chuckled and said, “what- what do you mean by that?” Defensively. 

“Has your mother ever hurt you before?” Xiao clarified with no room for misinterpretation, and this didn’t make things any easier for Chongyun. 

Unaware of his own actions, Chongyun took a step backwards. “Well… She- um-” This was exactly why he didn't want to see Xiao that day. He knew this was coming, and he knew it was something that he could never truly be ready for. 

“Chongyun, what she tried to do yesterday- I just need to know if she’s hurt you before,” Xiao pushed, still serious, but his tone was also calm. Unrightfully calm. He remained where he stood, but Chongyun stepped back again and looked around as if trying to find an exit. 

The door to the temple was right there, Xiao wasn’t even blocking it. Chongyun could just run away and forget about this conversation, even though he knew full well that Xiao could catch up to him easily, no matter how fast he ran. But, Chongyun didn’t know if he would be capable of running right now even if he tried. 

“Chongyun,” Xiao attempted to direct the teens attention back to him. Finally, Chongyun decided to bite the bullet. There was no way out but through. 

“Yes! Okay, she has,” Chongyun forced out. The grimace that found its way to Xiao’s face was enough to tell the exorcist that he already knew the answer before Chongyun even gave it, but that didn’t make hearing the truth any easier. Chongyun looked at the ground before he ran a hand through his bangs, eventually looking back up at Xiao.  “But it’s- It’s… It was never like that before, nothing ever really hurt me. It’s not like it happened that often anyways. And- and I didn’t… I was always the one who did something wrong first. I didn’t train hard enough, I said something out of line, I- I always deserved it-”

“Deserved it? Chongyun…” Xiao said with such an odd sincerity. He was looking at the teen as if he was in search of some kind of sign that he had just lied, but Chongyun gave no such thing. “I don’t know what you think you’ve done in your life, or what either of your parents have done to make you think that, but Chongyun, you don’t deserve to get hurt.” The adeptus said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Chongyun winced at his teacher's words. He felt like he was being told something he wasn’t supposed to hear. It was an inherent truth kept secret, or it was just a blatant lie. Chongyun couldn’t decide which one he wanted to believe. Perhaps he was the one lying to himself this whole time. That however, didn’t matter. Chongyun didn’t care why things happened, or what the explanation for them was. As long as he was pushing himself to become stronger, it didn’t matter what happened to him. 

The exorcist looked down and clenched a fist at his side. “Listen, it’s… it’s really not a big deal. I was hardly ever around my parents even before you started training me. You shouldn’t- you don’t need to worry about it,” he said, almost a bit harshly. 

“I don’t care how often they were around, or how often anything happened,” Xiao said, remaining just as composed as ever. “What happened to you wasn’t okay.” 

“Well not shit,” Chongyun bit. He wasn’t exactly sure what was bringing on this sudden hostility, but he would take it over being on the verge of a breakdown. He was angry, and maybe he had been for a long time and was only now starting to realize it. He didn't know what at, but Xiao was right there so fuck it. “You think I don’t understand that having my mom periodically beat me for the first seventeen years of my life wasn’t okay? But just because it wasn’t okay, doesn’t mean that it wasn’t necessary, Xiao! It needed to happen for me to learn my fucking lesson! So I could learn to control myself, and I still haven’t learned, so maybe what happened yesterday was entirely fucking necessary! Maybe I deserved it, and maybe you shouldn't have saved me! Ever think of that?!” 

Something about Chongyun’s words seemed to strike a chord in Xiao. He froze, for just a moment, and what followed was a reluctant, yet shocked expression on his face. “Chongyun, just-” the adeptus tried, and Chongyun himself froze. He’d snapped at Xiao, holy shit he just snapped at Xiao, and he had a feeling it would be the last thing he ever did. The anger left Chongyun almost as soon as it arrived and now all he felt was regret.

All the undeserved kindness in the world from Xiao was about to mean nothing, because Chongyun finally did it. He finally fucked it all up, and archons, he was doomed. The exorcist stood there with wide, horrified, yet expectant eyes. He took a stance, physically preparing himself to get murdered right then and there. The rain falling on the temple that would soon be Chongyun’s grave seemed to grow louder as horrified adrenaline ran through the teen’s veins. 

He attempted to take a breath to keep some semblance of calmness, but it came out in more of a shaky gasp. “Xiao, I- I didn’t mean to…” Chongyun’s last plea for forgiveness fell from his lips before he even really knew what he should say. 

Xiao stayed firmly in place, looking at Chongyun in a way that the teen didn’t have the bandwidth to analyze. He- he didn’t know what to do. Xiao wasn’t doing anything, and that seemed to make this situation that much worse. His breaths started to pick up, and he felt himself shaking. He couldn’t even think about trying to keep himself calm anymore, let alone how this could potentially set off his yang energy. 

It was only when Xiao took a careful step forward that Chongyun found himself able to speak again. “Please, don’t,” he practically begged. 

Xiao put a hand up like was was approaching a scared animal. “Chongyun, calm down, okay? I’m not upset.” He stated clearly. 

The exorcist tried to take a deep breath to ground himself, latching onto Xiao’s words like a lifeline. He wasn’t upset, and as much as Chongyun didn’t believe that for a second, he would try to for the sake of his own sanity. He rubbed a hand over his face and just took a second to try and ground himself. “I’m sorry. I'm so, so, sorry.” 

“You apologize far too often,” Xiao responded with. Those were not at all the words that Chongyun expected to leave his mouth. Then again, Xiao did a lot of things that he didn’t expect. So Chongyun just stood silently and listened to Xiao as he tried to calm down. “Your existence isn’t a burden, you know? I can’t blame you for getting angry, people hurt you, and you shouldn't try to justify it,” Xiao explained as if he was speaking from experience. 

“If you think suffering is necessary for your improvement, then you are sorely mistaken. It’s more counter productive than you may think, Chongyun. And you can’t go around thinking that every person you meet is dead set on ruining your life,” Xiao looked over his student, as Chongyun tried to make sense of his teacher’s words. “Let me ask you this: did your parents ever actually help you improve with, well, anything?” Xiao prompted, crossing his arms. 

“Yes, of course-” The exorcist said immediately with a shaky voice, but was cut off by a very skeptical look from Xiao. He then mulled the question over more carefully. Well, as carefully as he could while his mind was still in survival mode. Chongyun could make an argument that they taught him to speak, and walk, and other necessary parental lessons, but he had a feeling that wasn’t what Xiao was talking about. 

He thought back to growing up, and how passionate Chongyun had been to be just like his parents. They were incredible exorcists, and they told him that he could do the same, and more. Then, it was great, they were great, and Chongyun learned so much from them. Of course they helped him, they were his parents for archons sake. “When I was a kid, they were to one’s who taught me to be an exorcist.” 

“What about when you got older?” Xiao said with that same skepticism. 

Chongyun had to think about that as well, despite how sure he was that Xiao was skeptical over nothing. He can’t remember exactly when, but at some point, he started training on his own because of his parent’s increasingly busy work schedule. It was around the same time that his yang energy started to become more of a problem, and it was then that his parents started to judge his improvement more harshly. When they started to insist that he work harder, and he did. 

Apparently he didn’t work hard enough, and that’s when his mom started- But that helped him improve, right? “They pushed me to work my hardest,” Chongyun assured himself more then Xiao.

“But did that help you?” Xiao pushed. 

“Well-” Chongyun couldn’t even think of an answer to that one. All he knew was that sometimes, he felt so worthless that the idea of working harder seemed useless because according to his parents, no matter how hard he tried it, it was never hard enough. He would waste days, weeks, months, archons, years, trying to perfect what he already knew. All in the hopes that it would finally be good enough. Even after he got his Vision, he just kept re-learning the same methods of exorcism that he had been taught over, and over again because surely, it would work that time. 

All the new things  he tried were just attempts to suppress his yang energy, and it wasn’t until he started training with Xiao that he actually started getting somewhere with his training. “Holy shit,” Chongyun said under his breath in realization. Luckily, he wasn't as panicked as before, but now he was just stunned. “I- I guess not.” 

“Listen, Chongyun,” Xiao stated, drawing Chongyun’s attention away from his world breaking realizations, because archons, what the fuck? “I think it’s in your best interest that you don’t stay with your parents for a while. I am going to have Ganyu report them to Millelith so they can’t see you.” 

“Oh, yeah, that’s fine.” Chongyun brushed off, still in shock. The more he thought about it, the more he couldn’t bring himself to care all that much. He knew he didn't have the best parents in the world, sure, but he had never connected the dots like this before. 

Xiao huffed, “Good. There’s still a lot I need to teach you anyway. I talked to Shenhe, and she offered to keep teaching you more about using a polearm. But all of that can wait for tomorrow, I think you should take the rest of the day to get some more rest.” 

Chongyun nodded, and glanced around the temple once again. “Yeah, yeah. But Xiao, can... Can I ask why we had to come here to talk about this?” 

“I figured you wouldn’t want anyone overhearing,” Xiao offered, before gazing back towards the statue of Pervases. “I also come here to remind myself of what I’m fighting for. The other Yaksha’s died to protect people, and it’s my job to do the same. I won’t let their sacrifices be in vain. I suppose I brought you here so you can remind yourself what you’re doing this all for.” 

“Well, that’s easy, I need to get stronger so I can protect people and vanquish evil.” Chongyun said. It was what he always was working towards. Then again, he was also working towards becoming a real exorcist again. Now, however, it didn't seem to matter what his parents thought. 

“If I remember correctly, that was the same reason that I called bullshit when you were pleading your case for me to train you,” Xiao reminded Chongyun. 

Chongyun tried to remember that same conversation. It was after he fought that archons forsaken Primo Geovishap and barely walked away with his life. Even after, he still had to fight for Xiao to even hear him out. Things really had changed since then. “But isn’t protecting people what you want to do?” Chongyun defended.  

“I also said you don’t want to be like me.” 

Chongyun remembers Xiao saying that, and like back then, Chongyun still couldn't figure out why. Although, for far different reasons this time. Back then, it was all about what Xiao had the ability to do in battle, but now that Chongyun actually knew the adeptus, it was hard not to want to be like him. So self assured, strong, and selfless. It was hard not to want to be like someone like that. 

Chongyun thought back to how he pleaded for Xiao to take him in as a student. What he said while half-dead and desperate for his chance to  be something more than what he always had been. “I guess I still have a long way to go until I’m good enough, huh?” 

Xiao shrugged, “I wouldn’t say that.” Those four words were enough to give Chongyun whiplash, but then Xiao kept talking. “There are plenty of people who think- know you’re good enough. Ganyu, Shenhe, Venti, myself, I would like to believe Hu Tao does too. I’m sure others do as well, but I haven’t met many of your friends.” 

“I think it’s kind of hard to consider them friends at this point, and they hardly thought of me as anything anyways” Chongyun mumbled. He and Xingqiu had what was likely a mutual hatred at this point, and Xiangling and Xinyan had every right to hate Chongyun. That wasn’t exactly how textbook friendship was supposed to work. 

“You still want to protect them, don’t you?” Xiao asked, hearing Chongyun’s very poor attempt to hide what he had said. 

“Well, sure, why wouldn’t I?” Chongyun replied. “We might not be on the best of terms right now, but I still care about them. They were my best friends for years, I was the one who pushed them away.” 

“Well, I guess you still have some things to figure out then, human,” Xiao said in what Chongyun could only discern to be in a teasing manner. It was still kind of hard to tell with Xiao. He did, however, have a lot to think about. “Do you want to head back to the Inn now?” 

Chongyun looked at the same statue that Xiao was gazing at before, then he peered outside to see the rain still falling from the sky. “If it’s alright, I think I want to stay here for a bit. See if it helps me think too.” 

“Okay. I do have duties I need to get to, but if you need me just-” 

“Call out your name, I know,” Chongyun finished for the adeptus. “I think at this point I’d be an idiot not to believe it when you say that.” 

The ghost of a smile made its way onto Xiao’s face. "And Chongyun, just so you know," the adeptus offered, "I don't care about the circumstances, I will always protect you when you're in danger. Regardless if you think you deserve it or not." Without another word, he vanished with a small gust of wind leaving Chongyun with his thoughts.

The exorcist felt overwhelmed with all these new realizations in his head. So much had changed in the past two months, and he didn't know it it was for the worse or better. But, he did know that he had to keep moving forwards from here, maybe not even to get stronger anymore, maybe not even to prove himself anymore. Because for the first time in his life, Chongyun felt like he was getting somewhere, and he had people who were there to help him. 

Xiao was there to help him, and Chongyun was going to keep working to make it so that help was worth it. 

Chapter Text

 “How agile are you?” 

“What?” Chongyun asked, perplexed at the suddenness of the question. He nearly fell over while in the midst of going over some training drills Shenhe had shown him. His attention darted towards his aunt who stood off to the side, polearm firmly in hand. There was something in her eyes that was putting Chongyun on edge, but he couldn’t name what. 

It had been three days since Xiao had taken Chongyun to the temple of Pervases and they had their little chat about, well, a lot. Since that day, Chongyun had been taking it relatively easy, as per Xiao’s request. As much as he didn’t like to admit to it, Chongyun very much enjoyed having time off. It felt like he was regaining a certain level of functionality that he hadn’t even realized he lost. Two months of exhaustion couldn’t go away just like that, but it was pleasant all the same to relax. 

In those three days, Chongyun spent a lot of time thinking and researching. Even in moments of rest, he couldn't bring himself to do nothing. There was always an itch for productivity in the teen that he needed to scratch, regardless of anything else. It was an itch that probably wouldn’t ever go away, so Chongyun filled his time with knowledge. 

For the most part, he simply read the books scattered throughout the Wangshu Inn. Whatever he could get his hands on. Along with that, Chongyun thought about the entirety of the situation he was in. According to Xiao, Ganyu was going to try to keep Chongyun’s parents away from him. Chongyun solidified the ending of his friendship with Xingqiu, but that was just a small factor on top of everything. Xiao had turned Chongyun’s whole world upside down with a few simple realizations. 

It was a lot, and it always would be. So, Chongyun attempted to sort out his feelings, but to no avail. He was still confused, and angry, and scared, and even a bit relieved. He didn’t know, and he didn’t know if he ever would. Anyway, that morning, Xiao had appeared and dropped Chongyun off with Shenhe before spontaneously disappearing again, but that was far from unexpected. 

That’s what brought Chongyun here, going through training drills with Shenhe near the base on Mt. Hulao. She hardly even acknowledged the events of what Chongyun would only consider to be the worst day of his life, which he was silently grateful for. Shenhe had gotten straight to business with training.

“How agile are you?” She repeated her previous statement, striding casually towards the Chongyun who had been caught off guard, to say the least. He thought Xiao could be confusing, but Shenhe was all the same. He supposed it was just an adeptus thing. 

Chongyun looked at her with wide, confused eyes, “I’m not sure. Agile enough?” He tried with a small shrug, casting away the polearm he had been training with. 

“Enough to do what?” Shenhe pushed with unclear intent in her eyes. They shone with something Chongyun hadn’t picked up on the last time they met. 

Chongyun had to mull that over, but it was difficult with his aunt’s gaze bearing into him. “I can do flips… and dodge attacks, I guess.” This was not the kind of self analysis he was expecting today when Xiao dropped him off with Shenhe. He had done enough of that a few days ago. He was looking forward to the mindlessness of training drills, he didn’t want to evaluate all the details of his existence anymore than he already has, thank you very much. 

With Chongyun’s sad excuse for an answer, Shenhe let a miniscule grin creep its way onto her face. This only served to unsettle Chongyun in some sense of the word. “I suppose we’ll have to put that to the test then,” the older exorcist backed away from  her nephew and muttered something under her breath that Chongyun couldn’t make out. 

“What does that mean? What are we doing-” Before Chongyun could finish his string of questions, and he had a lot, something cold hit his cheek with a surprising amount of force.

 It stung upon impact, causing the teen to take a step back in recoil. What the fuck was what, he pondered. After regaining his composure, Chongyun reached a hand up his cheek, and felt the cold spot where he’d been hit. On the ground he saw the fleeting traces of… snow? 

“Was-” Chongyun started in disbelief as his gaze returned to his aunt. “Was that a snowball?” Lo and behold, Shenhe looked at Chongyun with an innocently blank expression on her face, hands folded behind her back. Next to Shenhe however, her avatar was tossing a snowball casually in one of its hands. Even though it didn’t have a face, Chongyun could feel the cocky playfulness radiating from the thing. 

“Agility is a key aspect of using a polearm,” Shenhe began, summoning her own weapon once again. She twirled it around in her hands as she continued. “Unlike a claymore, which requires more brute force to use, polearms are based around speed. It doesn’t matter if you can’t take out an opponent in a single hit if you can strike them with speed.” Shenhe paused her movements, and gazed at Chongyun intently. “You have a lot of the techniques of using a polearm down already, however, you need to be more agile, and quick thinking if you wish to do this. 

“Snowballs are in an unlimited supply to both of us. They’re light, cause little to no harm, and are easy to throw and aim with. However, they can still pack enough of a punch for you not to want to get hit by one. So, I figured we could try and push your skills to the limit with one simple method,” Shenhe let what Chongyun could only interpret as a smirk land on her face. “A snowball fight.”

To say that Chongyun was surprised would be an understatement. He was stunned, shocked, flabbergasted even. In no way shape or form he was expecting this, and he was still mentally recovering from being hit square in the face with a snowball. Apparently, there were more to come. For a solid thirty seconds, Chongyun stood there, dumbfounded. “A snowball fight?” Was all he could manage to say. 

Shenhe nodded while creating another snowball in her hand. “Yes, if that’s okay with you,” the older exorcist said with that same, out of place smirk, if it could even be called that. “Xiao told me that you have played games as a means of training so far.” 

“Well, yes I suppose-” Chongyun began, cutting himself off, mulling it over. Archons, why were all of his mentors so unconventional?

The teen thought back to his days of quote, unquote conventional training with a wistful fondness, but was suddenly reminded of the methods his parents had used to make sure he stayed on track. All too soon, Chongyun concluded that maybe these odd training methods were for the better. For the best, actually. 

“I have some ground rules in mind,” Shenhe interrupted Chongyun’s wandering thoughts, handing the snowball she had made to her avatar. It took it graciously and seemed a little too excited for Chongyun’s liking. “No using anything other than snowballs as ammunition. We can, however, use additional methods to throw, dodge, or block snowballs,” Shenhe motioned to her avatar to give an example. “There is no ‘out’ system, or means of being eliminated. The goal is simply to hit your opponent, and avoid being hit as much as possible. The snowball fight will go until one of us concedes. Does this sound fair?” 

Chongyun was still in a state of utter shock. He allowed Shenhe’s words to dance around his head for just a moment too long and answered without considering the consequences of his actions. “Okay,” the word fell so effortlessly from his lips, as if Chongyun hadn’t just sealed his fate to have one of the most strenuous battles of his entire life. 

Almost immediately, Chongyun got fucking throttled with a seemingly endless array of snowballs. He nearly fell over, putting his hands up in a futile effort to block the attack. Alas, Shenhe was firing at a speed that made it nearly impossible to even look at her without getting hit in the face again, which Chongyun did several times. After a few seconds of getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter, Chongyun picked up running. It wasn’t as if he had much of a choice anyhow. 

“There’s no use running, Chongyun. You need to dodge to get out of this,” Shenhe taunted from behind the young exorcist.  

That would be a really simple task if Chongyun were better at dogging, and if Shenhe wasn’t firing at five billion RPM. So, Chongyun didn’t see any option other than running away like a scared child. It was the coward's way out, sure, but Chongyun never said he couldn’t be one. A particularly well aimed showball hit Chongun square in the back of his head. “Oh, fuck,” he hissed out, stumbling forwards. 

Chongyun ran until his legs burned, and then some more. Anything to be out of Shenhe’s line of fire. This was some game, one that he was definitely losing, despite the fact that there wasn’t really a winner or loser, just the first to concede. That didn’t change the fact that Chongyun felt rather pathetic as he ran from his aunt. 

He just needed a minute to strategize, then he could actually fight back, or dodge, or whatever. Chongyun couldn’t quite think straight, and a jolt of panic ran through him for he feared his yang energy was acting up already. He didn’t feel particularly hot, or overly emotional, so it had to be something else, it just had to be because Chongyun was not going to have an episode. Nope. Not a chance. In the midst of his panic and running, Chongyun sent a silent prayer to the Archons to have one training session go right for once in his life. 

Even with a troubled mind, and constant onslaught of snowballs going his way- albeit at a less frequent pace than before -Chongyun was able to scan the oncoming area. By some miracle, he spotted a rock that he could hide behind. Maybe the Archons were listening, or maybe it was just dumb luck. The young exorcist was in no position to question it. 

With all the grace of a dying walrus, Chongyun dove to his hiding spot and got to wracking his brain for a strategy.

“Shit,” he muttered after a long moment of quiet contemplation. He couldn’t think of jack shit. Maybe it was the result of his few days off, or maybe it was all the dramatic mess that was his personal life, or maybe it was just burn out, but as Chongyun desperately tried to think of some plan of action, his mind remained blank. 

Well, blank wasn’t the right word. Chongyun had a lot on his mind. More than he would like to admit, but none of it was helpful in the current situation. 

“Okay, okay, just think Chongyun, thin-” The young exorcist was suddenly cut off by the sound of footsteps nearby. 

“So now you're hiding, that’s not going to help, Chongyun,” he heard Shenhe say into the air. He could only pray that she didn’t actually know where he was, and was just speaking in hopes that he would come out. Chongyun felt a little bit like he was being hunted by some predator, and that realization did nothing to help him, because the last time Chongyun felt like this was under the watchful gaze of his mother. 

She would watch to find any flaw, any weakness, and tear into it like it was nothing. If you tried to do something, she’d find a way to exploit it, and if you did nothing at all, well that was a weakness in itself. But it was different with Shenhe, so, so different. While his mother treated him like Chongyun was inherently less than her, like his whole existence was a flaw that she could keep ripping into over, and over, and over again until it hardly meant anything anymore, Shenhe couldn’t be more different. 

Chongyun couldn’t even begin to explain why, but his aunt, among many other recurring figures in Chongyun’s life nowadays, treated him like he was capable of something that he had yet to realize. Capable of something he was yet to do. Maybe that was all he really needed. 

“May I remind you,” Shenhe’s voice called, closer than before. There was a pause and a loud thud, and Chongyun didn’t even want to begin to think of what the source was. “You’re allowed to fight back.” 

And just like that, Chongyun had an idea. 

The next twenty minutes or so were spent playing an odd game of cat and mouse. Chongyun was just doing his best to stay out of sight as he attempted to carry out his bat shit crazy idea. He’d been having more and more of those as time went on, and it all seemed to branch from his initial idea to get Xiao to train him. 

It had been desperation that led him to that decision, and everything else was an odd sort of domino effect. Chongyun used to be much more rational, in a self destructive sort of way. He was still self destructive, but it felt as though his way of navigating a combat situation had inherently changed. So, rationality be damned, because Chongyun wouldn’t hesitate to admit  that the way things were now was a lot more fun, in a horrifying sort of way. 

Speaking of horrifying, Shenhe was still trying to find Chongyun, and she was right on his tail. This was what Chongyun was hoping for as he muttered a short mantra and set another trap where he was kneeled behind a tree, but that didn’t serve to make things any less nerve wracking. 

If she saw him, Chongyun would be so royally fucked, but then again, maybe he’d need to catch her attention. That way Shenhe would finally step into one of the archons know how many Chongyun has placed in his stead. 

Perhaps putting himself in hypothetical mortal danger would be worth the risk if it meant a chance at fighting back against Shenhe. Realistically, he knew that he wasn’t in any actual danger aside from a few bruises, but still, Chongyun was convinced that if Shenhe looked at someone fiercely enough, they would just keel over and die, perhaps even explode. Then again, that could be a little more related to trauma than Chongyun would like to admit.

Chongyun did not have the bandwidth to realize that he had zoned out again until a snowball flew right over his shoulder. He whipped his head around violently to see Shenhe just a few feet away with another snowball already in hand. “Are you ready to dodge yet?” 

Abruptly, the younger exorcist jumped to his feet and said, with all the false confidence he could muster, “I’m ready to do more than that.” Chongyun then immediately took off running in the opposite direction of Shenhe. Archons, you look like such a pussy, his panicked brain unhelpfully supplied. He had a plan, okay? 

“So we’re doing this again,” he heard Shenhe say faintly from behind him. Chongyun didn’t pay that much mind as he surveyed the area in front of him. He just needed to lead Shenhe into one of his traps, and preferably not get hit by any more snowballs on the way. The only indication of any of the traps were small sigils on the ground, and it was becoming apparent that Chongyun had done too good of a job hiding them. 

As Chongyun carried on sprinting, a snowball nailed him on the back of the knee, and it hit hard. The teen wasn’t sure if it was the shock of the cold, or the impact, or what, but he tripped in a rather dramatic fashion, all but face planting into the ground. “Fuck!” He exclaimed, perhaps a bit too loudly as he fell. 

Chongyun scrambled to stand back up, and got hit by a few more snowballs in the process, but found salvation in the process. Not too far ahead of him sat the familiar blue glow of one of his sigils. He sent a silent thank you, to whatever deity had taken pity on him, and carried on in the direction of the trap. 

Not wanting to be the cause of his own demise, Chongyun dove over the area of the trap, and landed with a roll. From a kneeling position on the ground, he summoned a thin wall of ice in front of him to work as a shield. Snowballs hit the wall with alarming force, and it was already on the brink of collapse when Shenhe’s form came into view. She wasn’t even running after him, merely walking like she hadn’t a care in the world.

It seemed Shenhe wasn’t even throwing the snowballs, her avatar doing all the work. “I’m afraid that hiding behind a shield will do nothing to improve your agility,” Shenhe supplied, conjuring a snowball in her hand. “Some might even take this as a sign of surrender.” 

Chongyun stayed put, praying that Shenhe would take the bait and go in for the ‘final blow.’ He watched with some distant sense of horror as Shenhe coated the object in her hand with a thin layer of ice. With each step forward, she seemed to gear up to throw it, the last hit needed to shatter Chongyun’s last line of defense. Then, Shenhe took one step too far. 

In an instant that seemed to drag itself out, a giant snowball appeared in the air above Shenhe, and dropped down on top of her. A huge pile of snow covered the exorcist, and she was stuck in place. “Wh-” 

Before the words could finish leaving her mouth, a snowball hit Shenhe square in the face. 

Chongyun stood there, another snowball already in hand, accompanied by a stunned silence that hung heavily in the air. Instead of throwing the snowball, the young exorcist just stood there in shock. Shock immediately followed by laughter, fearful laughter, but laughter nonetheless. Something about the sight of Shenhe half buried in a pile of snow was so astronomically funny in that moment that Chongyun couldn’t help but to double over in hysterics. 

There was a pain in his chest as he kept laughing. It was a foreign feeling, in a sense. Archons, he’d just hit his aunt in the face with a snowball. All of that horrific build up for an odd sense of comic relief in Chongyun. This, unfortunately, was short lived. He hadn’t even seen it happen, but Chongyun suddenly felt a presence looming behind him. This brought his laughter to an abrupt halt. 

Chongyun turned, only to see Shenhe right there behind him. He swore to the archons that there was light streaming from her eyes, and a dark aura around her. “I’ll give you ten seconds to run,” she said, and who was Chongyun to reject such a gracious offer. 

If there was ever a time where Chongyun ran as fast as he could, now was that time. Ten seconds, ten measly seconds to escape Shenhe’s firing range. He felt a rush of adrenaline surge through his veins. Even as Chongyun counted down his last remaining seconds of salvation, and the scenery buried together around him once again, Chongyun couldn’t deny the fact that he was having fun. 

That was such a strange realization. Sure, Chongyun had had fun training in the past, but all of that was so long ago, or in the past few months, nothing in between. He wasn’t sure what he had lost along the way. Training had become his entire life, and for what? He worked under the false guise of becoming a better exorcist, but when everything was said and done, all he’d ever wanted was his parents' approval. To rid everything of himself to be what they told him he needed to be. Chongyun just wanted to be good enough, that’s why he started all of this. 

In moments like these, however, and with his recent perspective, Chongyun could only come to one conclusion. This was no longer about that. It wasn’t about being enough. Chongyun didn’t even know what ‘enough,’ was anymore. But this, training under Xiao- among others -confronting things that he’d learned to merely live with, not move past, the games, the adrenaline, the near death experiences. It was about something that was more than some abstract, enough. And fuck, did it feel good. 

Earth shattering realizations aside, Chongyun could hear Shenhe’s footsteps behind. She was running now, that much was obvious. Somehow, the older exorcist was all but firing snowballs at a faster pace than before. Chongyun tried his damndest to move unpredictably to avoid this, but it was difficult when he couldn’t see makeshift ammunition. 

The teen needed another plan, and fast. It was only when he saw a short cliff edge in the distance, and a lake beyond that edge, that he thought of one. 

“Lung capacity, don’t fail me now,” Chongyun whispered to himself. He would have to be his own savior this time, because he was pretty sure the Anemo Archon didn’t have jurisdiction over one's breathing capabilities. It was no use relying on miracles when he could try and make his own. 

 With this in mind, Chongyun didn’t take so much as a second to look back when he reached the cliff’s edge. He simply jumped off into the depths of the lake below. 

The young exorcist swam out further into the water before taking a deep breath. He submerged his head under the water, and pushed his hand just beneath the surface. After a second of perfectly rational hesitation, Chongyun channeled cryo energy into his hand, and effectively froze over the surface of the lake, trapping himself in the depths. 

It was only then when Chongyun realized how astronomically stupid this plan was, but it was too late to turn back now. Worst case scenario he drowns a little bit, just some mild asphyxiation for the soul. That’s all the justification Chongyun needed to follow this plan through. 

There was soon a loud thud on the surface of the ice, followed by the clack of Shenhe’s heels. She had slowed her pace back to a walk, a painfully slow walk. The teen had to strain his ears to hear as she called, “hiding can only work for so long. Sooner or later you are going to have to confront me, Chongyun.” 

Despite this, Chongyun stayed in place. He feared moving would take up what little oxygen he had left. He just needed to be patient, and wait for the perfect moment to strike. With each step Shenhe took in his direction, unaware of what was awaiting her, Chongyun fought against his body’s need for air. Here’s the thing about holding your breath: you can always do it longer than you think you can. 

If Chongyun had learned anything in his life, it was he could trick himself into thinking he could breathe underwater.

 It seemed impossible, at first, when his lungs were still full of fresh air, when he could breathe it in whenever he pleased. How could anyone dream of not having something so simple, yet so vital? Once he was underwater, however, trapped in any icy pool like the current one, he always felt like he was going insane. Fear overtaking the desire to do something so foolish. Yet, Chongyun would always push on, until he could feel that burning in his chest. His body’s simple request to have something that was impossibly out of reach, for whatever reason. That was the hardest part, but Chongyun learned to push past that. 

He could stay there, underwater for as long as he needed to, as long as he was forced to, and drown before he got another taste of the fresh air that seemed so attainable to everyone else. The thing is, Chongyun didn’t have the choice to drown, so he would carry on. 

Besides, Chongyun’s biggest fear was to melt away the icy barrier he’d built for himself. Well, until right now, he supposed. 

Shenhe was just steps away, and once again, Chongyun placed a hand just beneath the surface. With one last burst to cryo, he froze Shenhe’s feet to the ground. Then, with all the strength left in him, and with his last breath of air, Chongyun made an opening for himself in the ice and climbed out of the water. 

For only a brief moment, he relished in the fresh air that filled his lungs. Chongyun took the same practiced deep breaths that he had found himself using as a lifeline one too many times. He really should spend less time underwater. 

Afterwards, Chongyun faced Shenhe head on. He could fight back, so, the young exorcist made a snowball and hurled it at Shenhe. Of course, Shenhe caught the snowball. There was something of a stunned look in her eyes, but it didn’t last long. She simply threw the snowball back towards Chongyun, and he slid on the ice to get out of the way. 

“About time,” was all Shenhe said before she broke out of the ice encasing her legs. “Now, let’s do this the right way.” Shenhe created another snowball in her hand, no avatar in sight. 

Chongyun got the idea loud and clear, gearing up for an actual snowball fight this time. Not a glorified, yet terrifying, chase. He and Shenhe were in some sense, equals, he didn’t need to run away from her. She made the next move, rocketing a snowball at Chongyun. He once again dodged, throwing one back at Shenhe with equal force. 

Thus, the game continued. Back and forth, and back and forth in increasingly fast intervals. Both took their fair share of solid hits, many of which would certainly leave bruises. Not that either minded. As the brutal battle continued, Chongyun realized that maybe this was about more than agility training, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. This was fun, and that’s all that seemed to matter. 

The sun sunk lower in the sky, painting the landscape in a golden glow. It seemed both Shenhe and Chongyun had lost track of time. With the passing of time, the ice encasing the lake inevitably grew thinner. Shenhe learned that the hard way, taking an unfortunate step onto a melted portion of the ice, and falling into the water. 

“Shenhe!” Chongyun called, ceasing his actions immediately to run over and check to be sure his aunt was okay. In his efforts, he saw Shenhe’s head pop up from the water. He felt relief, then immediately fell into the water himself as the ice below him gave way. Once he gained enough composure to pop his head out from under the water, he locked eyes with Shenhe. “Shit, are you okay?” 

In a foreign manner, a bright, and real smile appeared on Shenhe’s face. It looked awkward, and unpracticed, but it was genuine in a way Chongyun had never seen from her before. With messy hair strewn across her face, and treading water, Shenhe laughed out, “I’m fine Chongyun. Are you okay?” 

He blinked, shocked. Even with her painstakingly familiar eyes, in that moment, Shenhe looked nothing like Chongyun’s mother. In fact, he saw something of himself in those eyes. The teen found great comfort in that, more so than he could ever explain, so he smiled too. “I’m okay,” he said with a chuckle. 

“Let’s call this a draw, then,” she suggested. “I don’t think either of us was planning on conceding any time soon, anyway.” 

Long after the sun had set, Chongyun and Shenhe were sitting near a fire on Mt. Aozang. There was a noodle soup that Shenhe had made in the pot that hung above the fire. 

What Chongyun was more concerned about was the fact that Shenhe was now pouring him a bowl of this soup. Hot soup. Chongyun had hardly given his condition so much as a thought all day, and that was becoming more of a common thing. But, right now it was hard for it to be anywhere but at the forefront of his mind. The teen reckoned that he should have told Shenhe the details of his pure yang spirit before she’d made them dinner, but it was too late now. 

“I’m not the most knowledgeable on what humans usually eat, but I hope this dish will suit your tastes,” Shenhe supplied as she handed the bowl to Chongyun. 

Reluctantly, he took the offer, and looked at the soup like it was out to get him. The bowl was warm in his surprisingly cold hands, not that he could feel much with them anymore. Still, the warmth was pleasant, in a sense. “There isn’t anything spicy in this, is there?” He asked Shenhe, just to be sure. 

“No, there isn’t,” she answered plainly, serving herself a bowl. 

Chongyun looked down at the soup. “Okay,” was all he could manage in terms of a reply. 

With all the hesitation in the world, he picked up the chopsticks Shenhe had put in the bowl for him. Chongyun wasn’t entirely sure why he did so. Perhaps he was just trying to prove something to himself, or maybe to someone else, he didn’t know. Regardless of the rhyme or reason, Chongyun took one deep breath before taking a bite of the soup. 

The sensation of warm food was so unfamiliar, but as Chongyun swallowed, he didn’t really know how to feel. That was due to the fact that he didn’t feel much of anything at all. In fact, he felt perfectly fine, normal even. More normal than he had felt in a long while, and that was something worth considering. It felt wrong somehow to not have some majorly unfortunate event happen right then and there. 

“How is it?” Shenhe asked. Chongyun looked up from his soup which evidently did not hold the secrets to the universe. The older exorcist had a tentative look on her face from where she sat next to Chongyun. “The soup, how is it?” She asked again at Chongyun’s hesitation. 

“Oh.” Chongyun then put what was probably too much effort into finalizing his feelings about a simple bowl of soup. “It tastes familiar. I believe I've had a similar dish in the past,” which was true, but Chongyun hadn't had any soup in its intended form for a long while. He took another careful bite. 

“I’m not surprised,” Shenhe began.”It’s the only flavor I can ever seem to remember. I had this soup, or something similar to it as a child, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a family recipe. I wouldn’t be able to say for certain, as I’m not exactly inclined to spend much time with the greater part of the family.” 

Now that he thought about it, there was something reminiscent of the food his parents had made him in the soup. That was another thing for Chognyun to consider. “I’m not big on family gatherings either,” he said with a huff. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen anyone in his clan aside from his parents or Shenhe, in a long while. 

Shenhe hummed thoughtfully. “It can be a bit overwhelming, to be around everyone sometimes.” 

“It’s more so my parents, personally,” Chongyun confessed without really thinking about it. He trusted Shenhe, more than he ought to really. Something about the now unfamiliar, familiarity of humanity in her, among other things. 

“Oh?” Shenhe offered. It was an opportunity for him to elaborate, not a demand. There was some level of comfort in that. 

“My parents have never been the kindest people,” Chongyun grimaced. “Do you know what my mother was like when she was younger?” He asked, with a twinge of guilt. 

“I can’t say that I do,” Shenhe said, apologetic. “She is much older than me, and I was separated from the family at a very young age. Although,” Shenhe huffed out something of a laugh, although it was more spiteful than humorous. “I can sympathize with having unkind parents.” 

“Yeah,” Chongyun put simply. He went to take another bite of his soup, when he saw a drop of something fall into the bowl. Odd, it wasn’t raining. Then, in a moment of realization, Chongyun placed his chopsticks back in the bowl and lifted his free hand up to his cheek. “Oh,” he was crying. When had he started crying? 

“Is everything alright, Chongyun?” Shenhe asked, noticing the state of her nephew. 

“I don’t-” he began, then it felt like he had been hit by a truck. Now that the floodgates were opened, he couldn’t stop, and sob escaped his throat. “Fuck,” he breathed out, wiping his cheek as more unwanted tears fell. 

Shenhe acted quickly, setting her dish down on a stump turned makeshift table, and taking Chongyun’s from him to do the same. She was clearly out of her element, but she was going to at least try. “Chongyun, what happened?” She asked, firm, grounding from where she was knelt in front of Chongyun.  

“I- I…” Chongyun’s words fell short, suddenly unsure of what to say. He sobbed again, and hated himself for it. He couldn’t remember the last time he cried, for it had been long before he’d met Xiao. That still wasn’t long enough. He felt so weak, and so, so vulnerable, and it was awful. He wiped his face again, more frustrated than anything else. 

After a long moment of Shenhe trying to figure out what to do, and Chongyun trying to figure out what to say, the former broke the silence. “Do… Do you want a hug?” She asked, as uncertain as uncertain could be. 

Without a word in response, Chongyun felt himself give in as he accepted the offer. He sobbed even harder into Shenhe’s arms. “Archons, she fucking hurt me, Shenhe. I-I did everything to get her to love me, and all she did was fucking hurt me,” he eventually choked out. 

Now, Shenhe was far from adept in the worlds of conversation, but she understood Chongyun’s words loud and clear. Her grip on the younger tightened, and Chongyun could practically feel the anger radiating off of her. “Does Xiao know?” She asked with all the seriousness in the world. 

“Yeah… yeah he does, and,” he was interrupted by another fucking sob. “Shit- Ganyu knows too, I-” 

“It’s okay Chongyun,” Shenhe comforted the best she could. “Nobody else is going to hurt you.” 

The teen just laughed, something self-pitying. “I know, archons fuck, I know.” He hated himself so much at that moment because he should have been able to hold it together. Nothing bad happened, and Chongyun was ninety percent sure it wasn’t the soup, so why was he still fucking crying?  Regardless, he couldn’t help but feel relieved in knowing he had people who would protect him. He was out, and he wouldn’t have to see his parents again. That reality was only just starting to set in. Despite everything else, in that moment, maybe, just maybe, that was enough.

Chapter Text

Xiao eventually came to pick up Chongyun from where he was stationed with Shenhe, which the teen was very much grateful for. Not that Chongyun harbored any sour feelings towards his aunt. No, any negative thoughts that went through Chongyun’s mind were directed at none other than himself. He just hated crying, with a passion, actually. Being overly emotional was always something Chongyun tried to fix about himself, and every time he cried it felt like he was taking ten steps in the wrong direction. 

Chongyun was also tired, but that went without saying at this point. He’d been tried for longer than he could remember, it just got a little easier to deal with as time went on. There were people there for him in a way that nobody had ever been for a long time. A part of Chongyun hated himself for that. 

Shenhe was nothing but kind in her own sort of way, which only served to make Chongyun hate himself a little bit more. Even still, when he’d finally calmed down, he had but one request. “Please don’t tell Xiao about this,” he had pleaded, with more desperation than he would ever normally be okay with. 

Deep down, Chongyun knew that Xiao finding out that he had cried wouldn’t be the end of the world. It was a natural human response, and Chongyun was human, it was simple. Regardless, he just couldn't deal with the idea of Xiao knowing about this particular breakdown. Chongyun had already garnered enough sympathy to last a lifetime, he didn’t need anymore. 

So, Shenhe agreed to his request, and the two finished their lukewarm meals in relative silence. Until Xiao arrived, that is. 

The tell tale gust of wind signaled his arrival. He was nearly invisible in the dark night, it was cloudy, disallowing the moon to cast any light on the adeptus’ figure. His golden eyes glowed however, making his presence known. While they were intimidating, Chongyun couldn’t help but to see them as something more watchful and protective. It was an odd sort of comfort. 

When the adeptus stepped into the light, Chongyun couldn’t help but grimace. Xiao looked, well, not good; Chongyun didn’t know how else to put it. He seemed more exhausted than usual, with notable gashes all over his body. His hands were curled at his sides, occasionally twitching, or shaking, Chongyun couldn’t really tell in the lighting. The adeptus looked jaded, distant even, but his expression softened ever so slightly upon seeing the two exorcists before him. 

“You look like shit,” Shenhe commented all too casually. She then gestured to the pot which still hung over the fire. “Would you like some soup?” 

“Mortal food holds no appeal to me,” Xiao put simply, like he wasn’t practically bleeding out. Shenhe shrugged, and Chongyun blinked to make sure he wasn’t imagining her nonchalance. Chongyun really just needed to ask less questions it seemed. 

“Xiao, are you okay?” He asked, like a hypocrite. 

The adeptus huffed and crossed his arms, but Chongyun didn’t miss the way that he flinched ever so slightly as he did so. “I have experienced pain far beyond human comprehension; my current state is nothing to concern yourself with,” and Chongyun took that as Xiao’s way of saying, ‘I’m fine, don’t worry about it.’ 

The teen grimaced, for he was something of an expert with the phrase. He knew that it meant anything other than someone being okay, and Xiao was still visibly injured. “You’re bleeding,” Shenhe said before Chongyun could. “That seems like something to be concerned about.” 

Xiao sighed before explaining, “I will be healed before tomorrow. This is simply the result of my duty as a yaksha. A duty I have long since grown used to.” 

Chongyun didn’t want to brush the Adeptus’ state off like it was nothing. There was however, the reality that Xiao would in fact be healed by tomorrow. So, Chongyun pushed aside his worry the best he could for the time being. It wasn’t the first time that Xiao had shown up looking half dead, and it was his job to fight unimaginable horrors. There was still worry lingering in the back of Chongyun’s mind that never seemed to leave. 

Shenhe seemed to come to a similar conclusion. She huffed before standing, then approached Xiao. Chongyun could see har facial expression, but he didn’t miss the way that his aunt leaned in to examine Xiao’s wounds more closely. The adeptus made no move to stop this until Shenhe reached a hand out touch his shoulder which had a particularly nasty gash on it. Xiao flinched away before Shenhe could even make contact. 

“You should talk to Cloud Retainer,” the older exorcist spoke plainly. 

“I can take care of myself Shenhe,” Xiao deadpanned. 

Shenhe lowered her voice, not enough so that Chongyun couldn’t hear, but enough to portray some kind of earnestly. “I know, but that doesn’t mean you have to.” 

Xiao sent Shenhe a look that conveyed something Chongyun couldn’t quite decipher. She didn’t protest and turned back to Chongyun. “It was nice having you today,” she said with that not-quite smile that often adorned her face. 

Chongyun returned the smile the best he could. He stood up and started towards Xiao, but didn’t make it too far before he turned to Shenhe. “Thank you… for everything,” the teen said, unsure how to truly give thanks for Shenhe being there for him. 

Shenhe then pulled Chognyun into another hug. The younger exorcist didn’t fight it, but he seemed just as surprised by it as Shenhe herself. “You can come to me for anything Chongyun,” she assured him, and Chongyun had spent enough time doubting such promises. 

Eventually, Chongyun left with Xiao, and luckily, the adeptus didn’t seem to pick up on the fact that his student had had something of a breakdown earlier. He was quite tired after that on top of a long day of training, and Xiao too seemed to need to get some rest. Not that he slept, in fact Chongyun had no clue what the adeptus did to rest, if he even rested at all. 

The pair was on the Wangshu Inn’s balcony, and Chongyun was about ready to head to his room when Xiao said, “I apologize for my absence today,” his tone laced with a deep exhaustion. 

Chongyun looked at his teacher, puzzled. “It’s no issue, Shenhe taught me a lot today,” which was true, in an odd way. It was amazing how much he managed to learn and improve in the oddest of ways. 

“Well, I have more duties to attend to. Get some rest, we have more work to do tomorrow,” Xiao huffed out. He reached his left hand up to scratch the back of his neck in an almost awkward manner. It was then when Chongyun noticed something amiss on Xiao’s forearm. 

There was something dark peeking out from underneath his glove. A kind of darkness that ran is his veins, making them partially visible, as well a strange swirling pattern that was barely noticeable in the dim light of the moon. When Xiao brought his arm down, Chongyun could see that the usually green markings on his arm were also tinged with something dark. 

“Xiao?” Chongyun started cautiously. “Is everything alright?” 

It took the adeptus no time at all to see what Chongyun was referring to. He glanced down at his own arm, eyes widening almost imperceptibly before he looked back at Chongyun. “It’s nothing,” he said assuredly. 

Now, Chongyun didn’t know what the problem was, but he was sure it was something. “Are-” 

“You should go get some sleep Chongyun,” Xiao cut in before the teen could get another word out. “You have no reason to worry about me,” and Chongyun knew without a shadow of a doubt that that was the biggest lie Xiao had ever told him. 

Chongyun was up bright and early the next day, eager to get back to training with Xiao. He’d been through enough emotional turmoil in the past few days. Some crazy, Archons know what training routine Xiao would most certainly have planned was just what Chongyun needed. Spending the day with Shenhe was fun, but well, it didn’t exactly end on the best note. 

Xiao was already sitting on the railing of Wangshu Inn’s balcony by the time Chongyun got up there. His eyes were trained thoughtfully on the horizon, almost painting a picture of serenity, but such illusions were broken by the iron grip the adeptus had on the railing. His whole body was tense, and there was something sharp, and alert in his eyes. 

 A cold breeze cut through the air, amplified only by the humidity of Dihua Marsh, but Xiao didn’t seem to care, and Chongyun welcomed the cold with open arms. The sun hung low in the sky, painting everything in a soft light. 

It was something peaceful, but Chongyun couldn’t help but be irked. Something was off, and it was related to the darkness bleeding onto Xiao’s skin. The teen stepped toward the Adeptus, and the sound of his step, although quiet, caused Xiao to whip his head around to face his student. 

“Chongyun,” Xiao began. His voice was calm, but Chongyun could hear a bit of strain in it that would only be noticeable if you talked to him often. He turned around and slid off the railing onto the balcony. “Are you ready to go?” 

The exorcist simply nodded, having gone through this routine countless times. Xiao walked over, barely reached up his left hand before he hesitated, and reached with his right hand to place on Chongyun’s shoulder instead. The next moment, Chongyun saw what was a surprisingly familiar place.  

“I take it you have been to Qingce Village before?” Xiao asked as he hastily pulled back his arm to cross over his chest. 

“It’s been awhile, but yes,” the teen said, looking over the village. It was mostly desolate, given the time in the morning. As per usual, vibrant flowers covered the town. It was surprising that Xiao brought them there of all places, but It was still one of Chongyun’s favorite places in Liyue. He remembered all the times that he and Xingqiu would go there together, and a twinge of something unpleasant ran through him. “What do you have planned?” 

A million possibilities bounced around in Chongyun’s mind. Were they going to be talking to someone in the village? Perhaps helping out? Or maybe it had something to do with nature? Stealth? It was a pretty large area to hide in. Chongyun didn’t know, but there were a lot of options. Out of all of them, Chongyun was least expecting for Xiao to hand him a small black strip of fabric, and say, “Blindfold yourself.” 

“What?” Was all Chongyun could think to say, glancing from the fabric to Xiao. 

“Blindfold yourself,” Xiao repeated, deadpan. Chongyun looked around, as if someone could provide him with any further explanation. Weighing his options, and concluding that Xiao hadn’t led him astray so far, Chongyun tried the blindfold securely around his eyes. 

“Now,” Xiao said. Chongyun felt a familiar hand placed on his shoulder, and was sure he was teleported somewhere, but it was hard to say for sure. He was still outside, he knew that much with the breeze still blowing, and the feeling of sun still on his skin. Based on context clues, he was probably still in Qingse Village as well. “Don’t move from where you’re standing,” Xiao said, his voice clear, but a short ways away. As per instruction, Chongyun stayed firmly in place. 

“You are standing on a log placed in the middle of a small pond right now. It is a short fall into the water, and if you do fall, I trust you will be able to swim.” Xiao explained, his voice moving. Chongyun did not move to try and face it, especially with this new knowledge. “Yesterday you worked on agility training, and while that is an important part of learning to use not just a polearm, but any weapon, it means nothing if you haven’t honed your reflexes.

“In any battle, there is a chance you will be in an unfamiliar environment, disoriented, and unsure of where to go, much like being blindfolded. You must be able to trust your instincts, and ability to react to attacks, even if you have no clue where you are. You need to act without thinking, for if you are ignorant of your opponent, and location, you will not be able to strategize with enough time to fight back.

“So, to improve your reflexes,” there was a pause, and without the sound of Xiao’s voice, Chongun hadn’t the slightest clue where he was. He often spent what some may consider far too much energy strategizing. To act on instinct was the very thing Chongyun had tried to avoid. Then, out of the blue, something hit Chongyun rather aggressively on the side. It however, didn’t hurt very much, certainly not enough to do anything beyond bruise. “You need to be able to dodge an attack you cannot see, without succumbing to a dangerous environment.” 

Chongyun waited for Xiao to explain things further, but he was only met with silence. Nothing but the sound of a gentle breeze and some chirping birds filled the air. No Xiao… Shit . “So, do I just keep standing here?” Chongyun asked, but to no avail. 

The teen carefully shifted his weight to only one foot and pushed the other forwards to try and scope out how much area he had to move. Chongyun found the edge, and to his relief, he had at least a few feet of space to work with. He carefully felt out the rest of the stumps surface, discovering that the ground beneath his feet was slightly uneven, but manageable.. 

“Xiao?” Chongyun asked the air again. “Um… Are you sti-!” Chongyun was interrupted by another object hitting him in the face out of the blue, well, black in this situation because that’s all Chongyun could see. This time, Chongyun stumbled slightly, but managed not to fall off of the tree log. “Fuck,” the teen hissed. 

“You need to hone in on your senses. Be prepared to dodge an attack at all times,” Xiao’s voice called. This time Chongyun tried to turn to it, albeit rather slowly. 

“Well I can usually see my opponent,” Chongyun noted, a touch of annoyance in his voice. He could only imagine how ridiculous he must have looked. “And how am I supposed to, ‘hone in on my senses?’ I’m only human, Xiao.” 

“Humans are more capable than you think. Shenhe, for example,” Xiao offered and Chongyun turned again. Unfortunately, more silence followed. Chongyun had to keep from scoffing, focusing instead on keeping quiet, and focusing. 

 He stood still, aside from his residual deep breaths. If he wanted to get anywhere close to being able to do this, he needed to pay attention. Chongyun found his base, and listened carefully. He heard those same birds singing a song he had never heard before. Leaves rustled in the morning breeze, and distantly, Chongyun could hear the sounds of children laughing. Water was rushing nearby, serving as white noise underneath it all. Admittedly, it was peaceful, almost peaceful enough for the young exorcist to forget that he was under fire. 

Just when he was getting his bearings, Chongyun was hit square in the back with force that would certainly cause bruising. He stumbled forwards, and not even a moment later, another object hit the teen in the chest from a different angle. Then, one more strike hit him in the leg, and Chongyun was tumbling over the edge of the log, into the water. 

As soon as he made impact, Chongyun was already ripping off the blindfold. “Fuck,” he scrutinized nothing at all after he swam to the surface, treading water. It was going to be a long day 

Chongyun was wet and cold, which believe it or not was a good thing. Well, the cold part at least. It kept him more alert, and more concentrated on not getting hit by another fucking beanbag, which Chongyun had learned was Xiao’s weapon of choice in this exercise a few hours ago. 

Hours of falling in the water, only to get back up again, and again, and again, and again. He’d tried just about everything he could think of to try and dodge a single beanbag, but to no avail. If Chongyun had just a little less shame, he would have given echolocation a chance. He was frustrated, anger hanging in his brain making any attempts to successfully complete the task at hand more futile than before. The damn blindfold was soaked, as was the rest of Chongyun, and at times the teen felt like he was being waterboarded. 

“It’s becoming apparent that you rely on your eyes too much,” Xiao commented from nearby. It was the first thing he had said in a while, and It wasn’t an insult, just a mere observation. Chongyun would have honestly preferred the former. 

He shifted into a position better suited to dodge. If he knew where Xiao was, it would make it easier to dodge, that is if the teen could get the timing right for once. “It’s becoming apparent that I won’t be able to do this, Xiao.” Chongyun said doing nothing to hide the annoyance in his tone. 

“You can take a break if you need,” The adeptus offered. 

Chongyun could barely hold back a scoff. He didn’t need a break, he needed to figure out how to dodge a bean bag thrown at an ungodly speeded by a guy who could teleport without falling five feet into a lake while blindfolded. There had to be some trick to ‘hone in on his senses,’ whatever that entailed. Some way of breathing, or thinking, or slowing down his heartbeat for all he knew. Maybe it had something to do with his pure yang spirit. Perhaps he was putting too much concentration into keeping it suppressed, thus making it impossible for him to complete the task at hand. 

“Let me rephrase,” Xiao cut in through Chongyun’s thoughts. “You are going to take a break.” 

“What-” was all Chongyun was able to say before he found himself standing on grass rather than the log he’d been stationed on for the past five hours or so, aside from when he was in the water that is. Soon enough, Chongyun took off the blindfold and once again found himself squinting at the light. “Xiao, I don’t need a break.” 

“Okay,” was all Xiao said in reply, but he took no action with it. “What do you want for lunch?” 

Chongyun looked at Xiao and attempted to gauge the situation. As he looked over his teacher, it was apparent that, while his resolve remained fully intact, Xiao looked exhausted. There was something strained in his expression, and he was just as tense as he was that morning, if not even more so. With this in mind, Chongyun answered hesitantly. “Any noodle dish served cold will be fine.”

 “Okay,” Xiao repeated, before vanishing with a gust of wind. Chongyun glanced around if only to prove to himself that Xiao had actually left. Afterwards, the exorcist huffed and sat, then laid on the grass. If he was going to take a break, he might as well actually take one. 

Within five seconds or so, Chongyun was already back to thinking of all the ways he could improve his abilities. It seemed that he would have to focus on more than just his hearing, because while that could certainly help, it wasn’t enough. Chongyun had spent hours trying to hear so much as the sound of Xiao landing on one of the other logs surrounding the one that Chongyun had been standing on, but heeded no results. 

The teen wracked his brain for any possible strategies to be able to successfully dodge even one of Xiao’s damned bean bag attacks. He closed his eyes, and simply tried to become fully aware of his surroundings. He took a long, deep breath, something that he had practiced time and time again. It was second nature, but never failed to bring Chongyun some sense of peace, some sense of focus. The sound of running water was still nearby, but it was nothing more than background noise. The village was more lively now that the day had gotten going, the sounds in idle chatter and footsteps replaced the bird songs of the morning. A gentle breeze, so faint Chongyun almost couldn’t feel it carried through the air. 

Suddenly, Chongyun’s eyes darted open as he was hit with a realization. Something that should have been so simple. It was the wind. One thing had always remained consistent when Xiao teleported: wind. A short lived, yet strong gust that, fortunately, Chongyun had grown to recognize. Just like that, he had a plan. 

Not too much later, Xiao returned with a plate of food and a glass bottle filled with water. He spotted Chongyun on the grass after doing a quick once over of the surrounding area .Without a word, he sat down next to his student and handed him the items. Chongyun took them halfheartedly; he was more focused on ironing out the details of his plan than he was with eating. Still, he had to admit that the dish smelled rather appetizing. 

“I hope this is to your satisfaction. I’m not entirely sure what it is Yanxiao made, but he has yet to make something that even I don’t enjoy,” Xiao explained.

Chongyun examined his plate and saw a noodle dish with vegetables and chicken mixed in. Nothing too fancy, and thankfully, cold. It was just as he requested, and maybe his plans could wait, because suddenly Chongyun was very much aware of the fact that he was hungry. 

The teen picked up the pair of chopsticks that were placed on the plate, and took a bite, mind immediately blank of all planning. “Wow,” Chongyun said, his mouth still half full. “This is delicious.” 

Xiao gave a curt nod to this, and then focused his eyes straight ahead. Even while Chongyun scarfed down his meal, he didn’t fail to notice how Xiao clenched his fists at his sides, pulling out a small patch of grass. He was so alert, as if a single wrong move from an unsuspecting victim would cost them their life in an instant. Ultimately, the teen chose not to comment on Xiao’s odd behavior, but still kept it in the back of his mind. 

Within minutes, Chongyun was done with his lunch, and halfway through the bottle of water. That’s when Xiao began, albeit a bit strained, “You know, Chongyun.” This grabbed the teens attention, but Xiao did not turn to face him. “I don’t expect you to be successful with every training exercise we do. This one included. It is training, after all, not a test. The goal is to help you improve. Your success is encouraged, but there will be no penalty if you cannot complete the task at hand.” 

This wholly caught Chongyun off guard, so much so that he couldn’t even begin to think of a reply before Xiao pushed himself to stand. In his entire time knowing Xiao, there had always been something nagging at the back of his mind, telling him that if he failed, Xiao would cast him aside without a second thought. Archons, that’s how this whole thing started: Chongyun completing a task and getting to train under Xiao because of it. 

Chongyun, however, was human, and he messed up. He failed Xiao what he would have considered to be one too many times the first time. That’s how it was with training, you do as you’re instructed, and you do it right, no matter what. That’s how Chongyun taught himself, and that’s how his parents raised him. Even still, Xiao never seemed to reprehend Chongyun for his shortcomings, and Chongyun would never be able to understand why.  

If Chongyun was being totally honest with himself, there was something in him that wished Xiao would lash out when he failed. 

Then, as if detecting Chongyun’s mind run rampant, he offered his right hand out to help him up. Even with his mind scrambling for some kind of response, Chongyun took the hand without a second thought. A small gesture of kindness that he’d given up on convincing himself he didn’t deserve a long time ago.

“Now,” Xiao said, “Are you ready to continue?”  

All Chongyun could manage was a nod, then suddenly he was back on the log platform. Xiao vanished with that gust in an instant, then Chongyun finally remembered what he was doing. Right, his plan, the wind from Xiao teleporting. Okay. 

Chongyun took one last moment to observe his surroundings, ingraining the locations of all of the surrounding logs into his brain. Then, with a grimace, Chongyun pulled the blindfold out of his pocket and secured it around his eyes. Almost as soon as Chongyun had his hands back at his sides, he was hit in the back with one of those fucking bean bags. 

Fucking fantastic, Chongyun mused to himself, as the irritation he felt before his break returned in full swing without so much as a warning. Casting these feelings aside the best he could, Chongyun focused instead on his surroundings as he had done before. Breathe in, breathe out, he coached himself uselessly. Regardless, Chongyun found himself listening carefully to his surroundings. 

The faintest sound of a footstep reached the exorcist's ears, and the next thing he knew he was hit with three beanbags in a row, at full force, and was stumbling off the platform of logs into the depths below. Chongyun’s clothes had just begun to dry, too. 

Hastily, Chongyun swam back to the surface and pulled the blind fold off of his eyes. “You know,” he started, loud enough so he knew Xiao would hear, already climbing back up the central platform. There was a certain strain in his voice, both from the temporary lack of oxygen, and from the frustration. He’d done this enough times already today to not dilly dally, however. “They say you shouldn’t swim until an hour after you’ve eaten.” 

“Then I advise you don’t fall again,” Xiao replied. 

Chongyun could help but roll his eyes as he pushed himself to the top of the platform. Without giving himself much time to look over the area, Chongyun hastily pulled the blindfold back over his eyes. He’d attempted to carefully look around earlier that day, only to have Xiao hit him square in the face with a bean bag. He had impeccable aim, really. All the only explanation Chongyun got afterwards was a simple, ‘Don’t do that,’ from Xiao. 

Regardless, Chongyun was able to orient himself just fine with the blind fold on. He just needed to actually stick to his plan, if Xiao would give him enough time to actually think about it, that is. Then again, such a thing wouldn’t happen in an actual combat situation, which was the whole point of this, Chongyun reminded himself. 

He took what felt like the thousandth deep breath that day, and focused. First, on what he could hear. Same as always-  flowing water, and the distant sounds of the village -to the surprise of absolutely no one. 

Then, Chongyun directed his attention to what he could feel. For starters, he felt wet and cold once again. Water coated his skin and soaked his clothes so they stuck uncomfortably to his body. His hair was haphazardly pushed back so as to not get stuck in the blindfold. His hair that was starting to get too long for Chongyun’s liking, especially now that he was aware of the way it felt on the nape of his neck. The water on his skin was quickly evaporating thanks to the afternoon sun. 

It was warm and relaxing in contrast to the cold alertness Chongyun was so used to feeling, and for once, Chongyun wasn’t worried about it. 

There were other things too, that Chongyun noticed. The way he was sore from yesterday, and all the spots where bruises had surely formed that he hadn’t bothered to check. It wasn’t particularly severe, but it was abundant that getting hit with a constant barrage of snowballs, only to be hit by bean bags the next day would cause a bit of discomfort. There was a deeper ache as well, most likely due to the surplus of injuries he’d endured while training. Even his recent break wasn’t enough to get rid of all that. There was a certain strain he felt in the mussels of his legs from constantly being on his feet. The exhaustion that always seemed to cling to Chongyun didn’t help either. 

As Chongyun focused further, he was suddenly all too aware of the scar tissue riddling his body. The way it stretched differently, the way that if Chongyun focused hard enough, he could almost feel the burning of the injuries in which the scars came to be, especially in his hands. 

Chongyun felt the way his fingers twitched at his side, and he tried not to think about it too much. 

It was only then that Chongyun realized he’d been standing there for at least a few minutes with no attack from Xiao. It was odd, but not unforetold. Perhaps it was a method to catch the teen off guard, which would have probably worked an hour ago, but now that Chongyun had gotten a break, and some food in his system, he was more alert. 

Somewhere in the back of Chongyun’s mind, he might have actually needed that break. It was fortunate for him, but unfortunate for Xiao as Chongyun felt a helluva lot more confident in his strategy now. It was only a matter of time until Xiao made his next move, and Chongyun would be ready. 

So, the teen waited. He remained focused, catching onto any little changes in his environment. Anything that would give him the upper hand in dodging an attack. He let the oxygen fill his lungs, breath even more controlled than usual. 

He was ready for anything, so maybe that’s what put Chongyun off when there was a whole lot of nothing. 

For at least ten minutes he stood alert and focused, but then another few minutes passed, and anxiety started to creep its way into Chongyun’s mind. “Xiao, is everything alright?” He tried asking, hoping that Xiao was close enough to hear him. 

Almost immediately, Chongyun felt that tell tale gust of wind to his right and he instantly turned towards it. Xiao had moved from his position, or he had just arrived from somewhere else, far enough away to where Chongyun wouldn’t have felt the first gust. 

Chongyun could feel adrenaline running through his system. This was his chance to test whether or not this new strategy was more effective than the last. He was attentive, even more hyper aware than before. Chongyun could clearly feel his heart beating, but then there was nothing. 

This time around, Chongyun did count, and only to sixty. Once the minute was up, he called, “Xiao!” With a slight edge to his tone. Then again, only this time a bit louder, “Xiao are you there!” 

Chongyun only counted to seven before he ripped the blindfold off on his eyes and looked around, paying no regard to the way the light burned his eyes. He forced himself to focus on his surroundings.  “Xiao!” He tried, but there was no Xiao on any of the surrounding platforms. He could still feel his heart pounding in his chest, only this time Chongyun wasn’t trying to focus on it. He just needed to find Xiao. 

If he left for whatever reason, Chongyun was sure Xiao would have told him, even if it was an emergency. If it wasn’t an emergency, Chongyun was beginning to question that, “just call out my name,” promise. 

“Xia-” The words died in the teens throat, for as he was frantically looking, he spotted something near the lake Chongyun was in the middle of. It was leaning against one of the surrounding cliffs. A human, well no, not a human, it was Xiao. 

Without a second thought, Chongyun jumped into the water he had fallen into one too many times, and swam to the edge of the lake. His clothes were making it significantly more difficult to swim across, but Chongyun paid it no mind when he reached the end of the water and hauled himself up onto the grassy, elevated shore, then sprinted over to Xiao. 

The adeptus was hunched over, and had his right arm braced against the cliff to support most of his weight, hand balled tightly into a fist. He had his left hand covering his face, but Chongyun could tell his expression was pained. Xiao was letting out harsh, ragged breaths, as his whole body trembled. Chongyun didn’t know what to do. 

“Hey, hey! Xiao, what’s going on?” The exorcist asked, failing to keep his distress hidden. He was facing Xiao, then he brought up a hand to place on Xiao’s shoulder. Then, he hesitated, unsure if touching Xiao would make things worse. For a moment, he just stood there, awkwardly hovering his hand near Xiao. “Xiao, can you hear me?” 

Xiao moved his left hand ever so slightly down his face so he could look at Chongyun. There was something in his eyes that did nothing but worry Chongyun further. The faint glow of his eyes seemed brighter, and it looked like Xiao was fighting so much to maintain eye contact. He almost looked like a scared animal, one who was in pain albeit, but still scared. 

It was then, for the very first time, that Chongyun internalized the fact that Xiao could feel fear. Something about that scared Chongyun more than he would ever be able to admit. 

All too suddenly, Xiao’s legs gave out under him, like he’d been hit over the back. He landed on his knees, and tightly clutched his hands to his chest. Xiao looked to be in so much pain, Chongyun was worried that he was too hurt to even scream. On top of that, Xiao didn’t even look physically injured. Just one more thing that completely stumped Chongyun on what to do. 

He knelt down as to once again be eye level with the adeptus. He racked his brain for anything that could help, and there was only one thing that always seemed to work for him, so Chongyun gave it a shot. “Xiao… I- I don’t know what’s wrong, but you need to try and breathe okay? Just- Here, listen to me,” Chongyun took an audible deep breath. “See? Just like that.” 

Xiao still wasn’t paying attention, he wasn’t even looking at Chongyun. He was gazing intensely at his hands which were twitching violently, even as Xiao clenched one around the other as hard as he possibly could given his state. His breathing was still jagged and uneven. 

“Xiao!” Chongyun yelled much louder than what seemed appropriate. It worked, however, and Xiao looked up at Chongyun with those same, scared eyes. After a moment, Xiao seemed to realize for the first time who he was looking at, and he hardened his expression. It was still pained, but was less vulnerable. Chongyun saw it as progress. 

“Chongyun-” he started, cut off by a gasp accompanied by a violent flinch. Once again, like he’d been hit by something. “I’m… I’m fine, just… ow, fuck!” He yelled, clenching his hands to his chest tighter. 

“Xiao, you need to breathe,” Chongyun repeated from before. He suddenly sounded much calmer than he felt. This time he placed a hand on Xiao’s left shoulder without hesitation. “Okay? You just need to try and breathe.” 

For a long while, Xiao sat there in pain while Chongyun helped him to coach his breathing. It wasn’t a lot, but it was certainly something. It became apparent whatever the issue was with Xiao- and Chongyun had his theories -wasn’t just a mental thing. He was in genuine pain, and Xiao needed to fight through it before he could actually calm down. 

It was odd, however. After some time Xiao gasped like he’d just breached the surface after being underwater for a long time. He heaved, taking increasingly more steady breaths, and his whole body began to relax, or, as much as someone like Xiao could relax. “Fuck…” he breathed out and ran a hand over his face. 

“Xiao? Is everything-” Chongyun didn’t get to finish his question before Xiao stood up abruptly. For a split second, he thought Xiao was going to fall down again, but he somehow remained upright. 

“Everything’s fine,” Xiao said, and sounded more like he was saying it to himself than anyone else. He closed his eyes tightly and took one last deep breath before he, very hesitantly, reached out a hand to help Chongyun stand. The teen took it, eyes wide with worry, almost more concerned about how Xiao just seemed to be brushing off whatever just happened, than he was worried about the incident itself. 

As he was pulled to his feet, Xiao was already bringing them back to the balcony of the Wangshu Inn. “Are you okay?” Xiao asked once Chongyun was properly standing, genuine concern in his tone. 

“What? Of course I am,” Chongyun grimaced. “I should be asking you that question? What was that?” 

“It’s nothing you need to be worried about.” Xiao said, firm. He retracted his hands to cross over his chest, but for once it didn’t convey neutrality, or even intimidation. He looked subdued, tired, more tired than Chongyun had ever seen him. The exorcist still didn’t know what to do. 

“Xiao-” 

“I have to go… I’ll be back at the inn sometime this evening. Call me if you need anything, and only if you actually need something, okay?” And just like that, Xiao was gone with a gust of wind.

Chapter Text

Chongyun could not sleep. 

Despite how tired he always seemed to feel, this was still an issue that he seemed to deal with on a nightly basis. He really ought to see a doctor about it, but when has our exorcist ever put in the effort to properly take care of himself? On that particular night, it was no mystery as to why Chongyun could not sleep. He was anxious, incredibly so actually. Anxious, racking his brain as to what could be wrong with Xiao. 

The adeptus had said he’d be back at the inn sometime that evening, and it was well past one in the morning. Not that Chongyun was keeping track of every minute that passed by. 

The exorcist found himself pacing the expanse of his room, back and forth for archons only know how long. He just needed to know what was wrong with his teacher. More specifically, Chongyun needed to know that his teacher was okay. He felt worry unlike anything he had ever experienced before, like a kid waiting for their parent to be home on a stormy night and a long drive. It’s not like Chongyun expected for Xiao to pop in and give him a thumbs up and a winning smile. He almost never saw Xiao outside of their training sessions. It was just the thought of what Xiao was often doing during their time off. Fighting the monsters he did in the condition he was in. Not monsters, inconceivable horrors. Demons. Xiao was fighting literal fucking demons, and Chongyun needed to know that something hadn’t happened to him. 

So, the teen paced, and he paced, and he paced. His feet were throbbing. Chongyun had long since discarded his shoes in hopes of sleep, but to no avail. His room was hardly lit; only a small oil lamp near the door illuminated the space. A dim and flickering light that begged to be put out. It was fine, he assured himself. A little sleep deprivation never hurt anyone. Chongyun knew better than most that this was not in fact true, but sleep was a fickle thing. It always had been.

Chongyun was not sure what snapped him out of his perpetual pacing, but eventually, he stopped suddenly in his tracks. Only a few short moments later, he haphazardly slid on his shoes, and exited his room. 

The trip to Wangshu Inn’s main lobby was as familiar as any. Even in the dim evening light, he feared not misstepping. Before he knew it, Chongyun was at the front desk, faced with a tired looking Verr Goldet. Chongyun breathed a sigh of relief that she was present, rather than an employee of the inn who he was less acquainted with. Verr was slumped over in a chair, examining some paperwork tentatively. Exhaustion was written all across her face, and she was nursing a mug full of something warm and probably caffeinated. It took her a few moments to notice the young exorcist before her. 

“Chongyun?” Verr started. She sat up in her chair, and set the papers down. “What are you doing up? Is everything alright?” 

“Have you seen Xiao?” Chongyun asked, too tired to care about the finer details of social interaction. There was an edge to his words that he hardly had the energy to notice. 

Verr paused for a moment, while giving Chongyun a quizzical look. “Not since this morning? I can keep an eye out for him if you wish.” 

Chongyun didn’t even try to hide the disappointment he felt. “Shit,” he said under his breath. The teen looked around the lobby, as if Xiao magically would appear. If anyone could do that, it was Xiao, Chongyun rationalized to himself. 

“Something happened,” Verr stated, a new bout of seriousness to her tone. There was a protective glint in her eye. “Is Xiao okay?” 

Chongyun grimaced, a sudden surge of panic within him. “No- Yes? I don’t know. Last night, he had a whole bunch of injuries, I mean more than usual, and he seemed really tired, also more so than usual. And then there was something wrong with his arm, but he said it was nothing, but it definitely wasn’t. And today, he was freaking out, and clearly in a lot of pain. I could hardly get through to him, but then whatever was wrong passed, and he just acted like it was nothing, again, and-” 

“Okay, Chongyun, calm down,” Verr said, stern, but not angry. She was standing up now- when had she done that? -  hands held up in front of her. Chongyun had hardly even noticed he was rambling. “Thank you for telling me. I will talk to him as soon as I see him-” 

“But what if he’s in danger?” Chongyun cut in, interrupting Verr right back. “He said he’d be back at the inn some time in the evening, and if you haven’t seen him, he’s probably out fighting monsters, or…"- or demons that would tear him limb for limb - "or whatever happened before is happening again.” The teen trailed off. Xiao had what was possibly the highest pain tolerance in Teyvat. He was clearly in pain earlier that day, so much so that it was debilitating, and if something like that were to happen during a battle, Chongyun didn’t even want to think of the possibility. Except it was all he could think about. It made him feel like he was losing his mind. 

Verr sighed and circled the desk to stand next to Chongyun. The teen watched, unsure of what else to say. By the archons, he just knew he had to do something to make sure that Xiao wasn’t in danger. Verr looked him dead in the eye, something equal parts tired and alert in her eyes.

“Listen,” she said, firm and assuring. “Xiao is resilient to a fault, and I think I know what is going on with him. He’ll end up back at the inn at some point soon, and I promise, I will talk to him, okay? If he hasn’t dropped in to let you know he’s alright, it’s probably because he doesn’t want to put anything else on your plate right now. Not to mention, you need to sleep. Is that clear, Chongyun?” 

The exorcist let Verr’s words sink in. He attempted to rationalize them, to assure himself that there really wasn’t anything at present he needed to worry about. It didn't work, not in the slightest, actually. Chongyun, however, saw no use in putting up a fight.  “Okay, Verr. Thank y-” 

All of a sudden, a loud thud from upstairs cut Chongyun off. It reverberated through the inn’s lobby, like the endless echo of distress call. Afterwards, all that was left was a moment of silence that felt more damning than the original crash. Then, just like that, Chongyun was sprinting up the stairs to reach that ever familiar balcony. 

If Verr followed, or called out to the teen, he didn’t notice. That was not important anyways. What was important was the sight that he was met with as soon as he reached his destination. 

There, on the Wangshu Inn’s balcony, was a figure keeled over, breathing ragged and uneven. A gloved hand reached out and grasped the railing for dear life, knuckles shaking with the pressure. Emerging from that glove onto the figure's arm was a series of intricate markings that glowed in the night, fading from a vibrant green to a deep, inky black that bore no light whatsoever. It almost looked as if they were sucking up all the light around them. Then, a pair of eyes, so familiar, but so wrong at the same time, shot in the direction of Chongyun as soon as he was able to register that there was a figure there at all. The worst part was the aura of something evil emanating off of him. 

“Xiao?” Chongyun prompted, voice hardly above a whisper in his shock. 

Without a moment's notice, the adeptus vanished with a gust of wind, as if he was never there at all.  Needless to say, Chongyun did not get any sleep for the rest of that night. 

Two days, and two restless nights later, Chongyun found himself stationed with Shenhe, once again near Mt. Hulau. The pair had been working for hours to further develop the teens fighting style with a polearm. They were making up for lost time, given that the last time Shenhe tried to help her nephew with his polearm training, he passed the fuck out. 

If Chongyun was being honest with himself, he wasn’t totally confident that he wasn’t going to pass out again. 

That morning, Chongyun had met with Xiao on the Wangshu Inn’s balcony, as they normally would. The issue was, the previous days, when the teen ventured up there to go about training, Xiao never showed up. Not even a note, or a message passed on from Verr. Despite his absence, Chongyun was too afraid to call out to the adeptus. It would be one thing if Xiao showed up annoyed from the interruption, it would be another if he showed up injured, or in pain once again. The thing Chongyun was most afraid of was the possibility that Xiao wouldn’t show up at all. 

After that night with Verr, Chongyun’s mind was running rampant, exploring every possible worst case scenario. What was going on with his arm? What was hurting him? The dark aura? Something else entirely?  The only confirmation that Chongyun had that Xiao wasn’t dead, was another conversation with Verr, where she assured the teen that Xiao was busy with his duties as an adeptus, but was still very much alive. Regardless, that confirmation did very little to calm Chongyun’s nerves. 

To top it all off, that morning when Xiao finally bothered to show up, he did not offer a word of explanation. He looked physically fine, no worse than he did during their last training session. However, Chongyun could still tell that something was off. Something that would come back to bite him in the ass later. 

The teen had tried to tell Xiao as much. When he saw the adeptus, he was too caught up in the relief that he was actually alive to ask questions right away. Before he knew it, Chongyun was dropped off with Shenhe, and Xiao was gone. Words were hardly spoken between the pair, and Chongyun’s relief turned quickly into gut wrenching dread that hung on him through the entire lesson with Shenhe. 

Chongyun was busy attempting to string together a series of strikes into something that would actually be effective against an enemy. Polearms always seemed so flashy, it was hard to imagine how practical they could be. Claymores were so simple as opposed to the weapon in hand. While there was technique involved, it was just hard to mess up hitting enemies with a heavy metal blade. No matter how you did it, damage would be done. With a polearm, however, it felt as though every strike needed to be more precise than the last. Chongyun did not have the bandwidth for such precision at the moment. 

This much was proved, for every time Chongyun tried to do anything, Shenhe would offer a correction. Keep your feet planted, fix your thumb, you need to move faster, and on and on and on. Chongyun was well aware of the fact that the advice was for his benefit, and he fully intended to take it all to heart. Unfortunately for Chongyun, his brain had other plans. 

He was far too riddled with anxiety to properly focus on anything. His eyes wouldn't focus right, and there was a visible shake to his hands that Chongyun tried his damndest to hide with every move he made.  Shenhe seemed to notice his distress when the younger exorcist tripped over his own feet in the middle of practicing. He fell flat on his face in a frankly humiliating manner. Chongyun opted to stay there for a long moment, marinating in the embarrassment and ever looming anxiety of this whole thing. 

“Did you pass out again?” Shenhe asked, the faintest bit of worry in her voice. 

“No,” Chongyun said into the grass beneath him. Perhaps the worms could hear him. Perhaps even the Dendro Archon herself. 

“Good,” Shenhe put plainly. 

Chongyun took that moment as an opportunity to roll over and face the afternoon sun. However, his view was soon obstructed by Shenhe looming over him. She and her pale, hauntingly familiar eyes.  “Do you need to take a break?” 

Chongyun’s first reaction was to insist that no, he did not. What kind of a student would he be if he took breaks? How could anyone improve like that? Then, all the instances of breaks actually benefiting his training popped into his brain. Moreover, Chongyun knew he wasn’t going to be doing much improvement in his current state, regardless of how stubborn he could be.

“I’m already there, aren’t I?” The teen stated, a sarcastic bite is his voice. It held no real malice. 

“You have a point,” Shenhe conceded. She then disappeared from Chongyun's view once again. He heard footsteps leading away from him, light and calculated, followed some shuffling, and a light thud. By then, the younger exorcist sat up and looked in the direction the footsteps had gone. A short distance away, Shenhe was sitting beneath a tree, a small, light blue bottle in her hands. 

“What are you doing?” Chongyun asked. He watched as his aunt screwed the cap off the bottle, only for a small brush to be attached, dripping with a light blue paint. 

“I’m painting my nails.” 

Chongyun blinked and sat silently for a beat. “You’re what?” 

“I’m painting my nails,” Shenhe repeated. She set the bottle of polish down carefully on the grass, and began to paint the nails on her right hand one by one. Her movements were practiced and precise. It reminded Chongyun of how she fought.  “I was going to do it at some point, now seemed like a good time.” 

Chongyun looked at his aunt with genuine bafflement. He shifted where he sat and studied her for a moment as she continued painting her nails. “Why?” The teen asked her suddenly. 

“Why not?” Shenhe countered, sparing Chongyun a quick glance. 

A long moment passed without a word spoken. It was long enough for Shenhe to switch the brush over to her other hand. It was long enough for Chongyun to start thinking about everything that could possibly be going wrong at that very moment. A moment of serenity counteracted by a troubled young mind. 

 A light breeze tickled Chongyun’s face, as if trying to get his attention. With a jolt, he unceremoniously looked in the direction it had come from. He saw nothing. Nothing but the expanse of Liyue’s scenery. A sunny, perfect portrait showcasing the land of Geo in all its ancient glory. Golden leaves danced in the crisp afternoon breeze. It was getting cooler, and the days were getting shorter than when this all began. Chongyun wanted nothing more than to curse out the late Archon of the land. 

“Chongyun, are you alright?” Shenhe asked, now out of Chongyun’s line of sight. 

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, Chongyun pushed himself off the ground. He felt his joints ache in a way a seventeen year old's joints never should. It was as if they had been twisted and mangled over many years, only just now managing to heal. Like a blade that had been sharpened into nothing before its prime, but still insisted on being used. Sometimes Chongyun wondered how much of himself he had left after everything he had gone through. Another part of him wondered if it was worth it to lose himself in order to find something better. 

Without a word, Chongyun made his way to the same shade that Shenhe was sat under. He plopped down next to her and sighed, long and exhausted like someone dragging their feet though the sand. 

“I’m worried about Xiao.” 

Shenhe hummed in recognition. Chongyun took that as his queue to go on. 

“Remember when you, me, Xiao and Ganyu got lunch?” Chongyun prompted, keeping his eyes trained on the sickeningly perfect scenery. 

“When you passed out? Yes, I remember.” Shenhe dead panned. 

Chongyun paused, trying to think of some kind of rebuttal. He soon concluded that it wasn’t with the effort. That and he couldn’t think of anything to rebut with. He brought up a hand to rub the back of his neck before saying. “Yes, then. But there was something wrong with Xiao.” Chongyun turned towards Shenhe, but still did not look her in the eye. “When he brought me hom- Back to the Inn, there was this black residue type thing on his arm, and when I asked about it, he just brushed it off. 

“Then, another time when we were training he doubled over in pain, even though he didn’t seem injured at all. And a few nights ago, after that happened, he showed up at the Inn in the middle of the night. The residue-mark… thing was back, and it was worse.” Chongyun psaused again, taking a deep breath to avoid spiraling. Then, he finally looked Shenhe in the eye. “There was also this aura around him. I’m not sure exactly what it was, but it was just… Wrong. Something is wrong Shenhe, and I don’t know what to do.” 

A long silence lingered between the two. A gentle breeze continued to carry through the air, and Chongyun tried his very hardest not to look in the direction it came from. Instead, he searched Shenhe’s pale eyes for some form of guidance. Some divine knowledge as to what was wrong with Xiao, or better yet, how to fix it. Alas, Shenhe was just as human as ever, sitting perfectly still now, and looking at Chongyun intently. 

Chongyun wondered if Morax could hear his internal insults from beyond the grave. Maybe if he did, the teen could get some real answers. 

“Give me your hand,” Shenhe spoke above the silence. Her voice was eerily calm, and Chongyun felt like he had no choice but to comply. 

Without breaking eye contact, the young exorcist offered his hand out to Shenhe. She took it gently, but even with all the gentleness in the world, one could tell from Shenhe’s grip alone that she was irreparably strong for a human; strong in a way a human never ought to be. There were calluses on Shenhe’s fingers from a long life of fighting. 

Her grip on Chongyun’s hand was firm, and when the teen looked down, he saw her taking the brush from the nail polish to his own unkempt nails. 

“Why are you painting my nails?” Chongyun asked eventually. 

“Why not?” Shenhe echoed herself from before, focusing on the task at hand. 

That answer was enough to keep Chongyun quiet. Then, after a moment, Shenhe started talking. “Sometimes, it’s hard for me to remember that I’m only human. After working under the guidance of the Adepti for so long, I’m told that I act like an adeptus myself.” Chongyun looked at her curiously, but Shenhe only continued to paint his nails while talking. “It’s hard not to believe that I really am one of them. Humans treat me with such hesitation. They call me a witch if they realize that I’m not an adeptus.”

She silently switched to holding Chongyun’s other hand, and began on the nails there. “So I push myself. I always have, because that’s what I thought adepti expected in my training. That’s what I have to do in order for me to be strong enough to be an adeptus.” Shenhe sighed, showing a sense of hesitation that Chongyun had never seen in her before. The words sounded so familiar for all the wrong reasons.

“I push myself, even though I am not an adeptus, and will never be one. I am only human, and I have my limits. It took me a long time to realize that, and it took me even longer to realize that nobody who mattered in my life expected me to be anything more than that.” Shenhe finished the last of Chongyun’s nails, and let go of his hand. Then she looked at him properly. “Nobody expects you to be stronger than that either, Chongyun.” 

The teen squinted his eyes ever so slightly at his aunt, and tried to make sense of her words. “What do you mean by that?” He asked. 

“Xiao is… He’s fucked up. Fucked up in a way that neither of us could fix.” Shenhe put bluntly. “Nobody expects you to be responsible for him, and his problems. I know you care about him, but Xiao is strong. He always has been. I will let Cloud Retainer know about your concerns, however.” 

Chongyun let the words sink in, and it took everything in his power not to refute them to hell and back. He owed Xiao his life at this point, and if there really was nothing that Chongyun, in all his mortal power could do, he’d bring Rex Lapis back from the dead and get him to do something about this apparently devine issue that was beyond mortal intervention.

“Chongyun.” Shenhe said, firmly in the way that only the adepti seemed to be able to pull off. “It’s going to be okay. Now, we should get back to training.” And just like that, Shenhe stood up and summoned her polearm. Like she hadn’t just given Chongyun advice that he would be thinking about for the next year. 

He didn’t want to dwell on that for the time being. So, stubborn as ever, Chongyun stood up and summoned his own polearm. Not before taking a moment to examine his nails, however. The light blue color stood in stark contrast to the unnatural red scarring on Chongyun’s fingertips. It was simple, and out of place, and would definitely get messed up by the end of the day. Chongyun would think about that alone for a long time, but he just continued to train, because he was only human after all. What else could he do? 

Xiao dropped Chongyun off with Ganyu at the Jade Chamber two days later. The nights yielded more sleep, especially after the teen picked apart all the possible meanings of Shenhe’s words. That, however, did not prevent the teen from cataloging every potential oddity in Xiao’s behavior when he had arrived at the Inn that morning. The darkness on his arm was nowhere to be seen, but Xiao seemed more tired than usual. Far more tired, tired in the way that could make you believe someone was giving up.  

If Chongyun had learned anything about Xiao in their time knowing each other, it was that Xiao was stubborn and strong. There was no chance in hell that he would ever give up, even if it meant dying. That knowledge scared Chongyun a bit, but he had no time to think about that. Not when he was being bombarded with tasks by Ganyu. 

“It will be so nice having a helper for once,” She stated, overly cheery. “Filing all the important documents for all of Liyue is a difficult task, especially when Ningguang wants the entire thing reorganized, but it’s all for the sake of efficiency. With the two of us working together, we should have it done by tomorrow morning if we don’t sleep tonight.” 

It was currently five in the morning, and Chongyun was pretty sure Ganyu was insane. 

Chongyun honestly wasn’t even sure quite how he got here. He recalls Xiao saying, “I owe Ganyu a favor.” Or something along those lines. The adeptus hadn’t given Chongyun enough time to ask questions before disappearing to archons know where. 

“Here are the instructions on how to file the documents.” Ganyu held a sheet of paper out to Chongyun, and the teen took it to look over.  “I’m sure you’re aware that most of them are confidential, so I ask kindly that you do not go through anything. Now,” Ganyu turned to properly face the room that she had led Chongyun into earlier. It was large and circular, the ceiling reaching high. The walls were lined with countless shelves and drawers, most of which were open, or empty. The contents were haphazardly stacked on various tables in the center of the room, a sea of parchment that not even the bravest of sailors would venture. 

“I already went through and removed most of the files and documents from their old spots. Everything has been relabeled, so if you just look at the instructions and documents, this shouldn’t be too hard. Please feel free to ask me for help at any time if you are confused about something. I truly appreciate your help with all of this.” Ganyu went on, surveying the room with intent. Too much intent. There was something she wasn't saying. 

Chongyun would have said something is he weren't so exhausted. His limbs felt heavy, as did his eyelids. It was going to be a long day, and apparently, a sleepless night. Just then, Chongyun yawned as if to prove the point. 

Abruptly, Ganyu turned back to face him once again. “Oh, you must be tired.” Chongyun nodded sleepily in reply. “I’ll fix us some tea. It’s a special blend that Keqing gave to me. It’ll wake you right up.” 

“Thank you,” Chongyun said with what little energy he had. 

About half an hour later, Chongyun and Ganyu were nose deep in a metric fuckton of documents that needed filing. As soon as Ganyu had drunk the final drop of her tea, and set down the cup, she was up and at 'em’. She worked with an eerie sense of efficiency. Something ingrained into her after archons knew how many years of practice. It was almost graceful, the way that she rifled through the mess of parchment. It was the same grace that Ganyu had when she was fighting, Chongyun noticed. 

With all the odd ways of teaching lessons Chongyun had been subject to on account of Xiao and Shenhe, he wondered if Ganyu had ulterior motives to getting his help. Was it efficiency? Stamina? Attention to detail? Chongyun had no clue, but he was biding his time until the caffeine in the tea took effect, so he didn’t really care all that much. 

He looked tentatively at the instructions the Ganyu had given to him, trying to make sense of the organization system. From what little Chongyun understand, it seemed convoluted at best. However, he was not in any position to question the ways of the Tianquan. That in mind, the young exorcist went into this task with the same determination he did everything, and set off into the maze of information to sort through. 

Chongyun haphazardly fell into some sort of rhythm. Once he actually deciphered how the organization system actually worked, it was just a matter or repetition. Despite himself, Chongyun felt almost content with the task. The monotonous act of rifling through documents served to keep his mind blank. Blank enough not let the impending fate of one adeptus set in. After a while - Chongyun wasn’t sure how long - he hardly even needed to think about where to put what. He hardly needed to think at all. 

It was nice, doing something that felt insignificant. Chongyun felt like it had been years since anything had been so simple. 

It was only when Chongyun noticed something amiss in the organized chaos that he faltered. 

Ganyu was leaning over a table, now cleared of all its documents except one. It was a scroll, rolled out along the table to reveal its contents. However, there was no information to make out. Instead, a dark, inky splatter tainted the entirety of the pristine, white parchment. It reached out in jagged tendrils, as if trying to escape the confines of the paper. The ink had long since been dried, and Ganyu was staring at it as if it were the fresh spilled blood of a friend.

Chongyun froze at the sight, much like Ganyu had. A thick silence hung in the air for a short while. Both cryo users dare not break it as they took in the sight before them. 

Finally, Ganyu decided to speak up. A statement that would echo so loudly in the vast expanse of the room.  “There’s something wrong with Xiao.” 

“Yeah,” was all Chongyun could bring himself to say. The tiniest bit of tension left his body, only enough to be noticeable. 

Ganyu took in a sharp breath, as if bracing for something. “I’m sorry I haven’t been able to do more about it.” 

Chongyun just sighed and looked up at Ganyu. Her eyes were still fixed firmly on the paper, like if she looked at it long enough, she could make the stain go away. Like she could fix it of all its ugly flaws. Ink was designed to cling to parchment for as long as it could, and Ganyu wasn’t going to change that fact any time soon. Chongyun couldn’t help but empathize with the half-adeptus. “Have you talked to Shenhe or Verr recently?” He prompted, unsure of how exactly Ganyu knew what was going on. 

“No, I haven’t,” she answered simply. She reached out a hand to trace the lines on the scroll. “But I’ve known Xiao for a very long time. I used to be cautious of him because of his… condition,” Chongyun winced at the word, “impacted those around him. He’s done bad things because of it, and now I just want him to be rid of it.” She dug her nails into the paper, and it crumpled in her hand. “I just want him to get better.” 

Chongyun took a moment to process this information. He glanced tentatively between the scroll and Ganyu. “So you know what’s wrong with him? Like, exactly what the issue is?” 

“I don’t think anyone could possibly know exactly what it must be like, however,” Ganyu finally looked up to meet Chongyun’s eyes. “I know what it is, I know it's getting worse,  and I know Xiao is managing the best he can.” 

“That’s what everyone keeps telling me,” Chongyun admitted. He still felt a little in the dark, like a kid who was left in ignorance for their own protection. It made Chongyun feel a little sick.  “What if one day he can’t manage… whatever is wrong?” 

“That won’t happen, Chongyun,” Ganyu said, clear as day. “He’s… He’s Xiao. That can’t happen.” It sounded like above all else, Ganyu was trying to assure herself. 

That silence returned in full swing. Chongyun felt a little like he was choking on it. He said something that he hadn’t realized was on the tip on his tongue to carve out a little room to breathe. 

“I never said thank you, by the way.” 

Ganyu’s expression softened all too quickly. It became something gentle, yet concerned. “For what?” She said, hardly above a whisper. 

“For…” Chongyun had to force himself to hold the half-adeptus’ gaze. “For reporting my parents to the Millelith. I’m not sure how much Xiao told you about my… the situation. But thanks for um- for doing something about it. Y’know it- it helped knowing that they weren’t going to be uh… a problem anymore, so…” Chongyun had to fight to get out every word. 

Everything with his parents felt worlds away after everything with Xiao recently. Chongyun was still trying not to think about it too much. 

“Chongyun…” Ganyu trailed off. The next thing Chongyun knew, she was hugging him. It felt different from a hug from Shenhe, or even Xiao. It was equally as protective, but there was something more to it. Something Chongyun couldn’t explain. “You never have to thank me for that. I wish I could have done more.” 

Chongyun didn’t know what else he could say other than thank you. So, he just opted to hug Ganyu back as tightly as he possibly could. 

Xiao had dropped Chongyun off in what the teen could only deem to be the middle of fucking nowhere. That wasn’t entirely true. Chongyun was sure he was still in Liyue somewhere, he just couldn’t tell exactly where that was. It did not help that it was the middle of the damn night.

Once again, Xiao had moved too quickly for Chongyun to get any sort of real conversation out of him. All the instruction he was given was “fight anything that looks like it wants to kill you.” That, along with a new polearm, slightly nicer than the one Chongyun had been training with so far. After that, Xiao hauled ass to who knows where, and Chongyun was left alone with his own thoughts, and apparently a bunch of things that wanted to kill him. Great. 

Turns out, all that wanted to kill him were a bunch of Hillichurls, so nothing out of the ordinary. That would be if Chongyun were using a claymore. It only occurred to him when the first Hillichurl came bounding at him from the darkness that he had never fought actual enemies with a polearm before. 

It was certain to be an interesting night. 

There was something wonderfully visceral, Chongyun discovered, about punching an enemy in the face. Would he have discovered this if he was actually good at fighting with his current weapon of choice? No, but Chongyun had to defend himself somehow when one too many Hillichurls showed up. It was the way that his knuckles stung afterwards. Chongyun had been so used to using a weapon as an extension of himself, he almost forgot what it was like to truly use himself as a weapon. 

Chongyun’s hands had been all but numb for the past few months. He had no idea how much he had missed feeling, how much it made him feel human. The punch had been a reaction, despite Chongyun having not trained in openhanded martial arts in a very, very long time. Not since he was a kid, too small to properly wield a weapon. 

Maybe a part of him wanted to have that part of him back. Maybe Chongyun had just been through a lot recently. He didn’t really care. 

So, if he ended up discarding his polearm all together in favor of finishing off the nearest Hillichurl with his fists, nobody had to know. They also didn’t need to know about the next one, or the one after that, or the one after that and so on. 

He refused to stop, not when he was sure his knuckles were bleeding. Not long after that. Chongyun needed this. So when he turned to strike his next victim, only to be met with big, blossom shaped irises, he wasn’t able to stop his fist. By some gift from the Archons, she was able to catch the punch. 

“Chongyun,” she said, far too serious for well, her. 

The teen had to pause for a moment. He took a steadying breath and tried to calm down. He stared directly into the eyes before him, noting the hint of worry buried breathing something overwhelming Chongyun couldn’t begin to explain. 

“Hu Tao?”

Chapter Text

Hu Tao’s eyes bore into Chongyun’s for a long time. Light blossoms next to his own dark slitted pupils. Chongyun had always thought she had beautiful eyes. They were so vibrant in an unsettling sort of way. All deep oranges that bled into deeper reds, surrounding a pale, flower shaped center. Unique in a way the exorcist had never seen before. They were odd, almost a bit uncanny, but that fit Hu Tao just right, didn’t it? Chongyun tried to focus on that, instead of the reality of his situation, or the sake the adrenaline put into his bones. He’d gotten quite good at that recently. 

Hu Tao’s grip on Chongyun’s fist was unwavering and unnervingly strong. Not that he was planning on making any moves. An indeterminate amount of time ticked away as the two stood there, in an odd sort of stare down. Chongyun was certain that he would be unsteady on his feet if he tried to walk away, so he remained. He wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted to. There was a part of him that wanted to flee like a scared animal. To hide where nothing and no one would ever find him again. He stayed where he was anyway, mostly because his limbs did not want to cooperate. 

“Chongyun,” Hu Tao echoed the phrase from before. Her voice held none of its usual playfulness. It sounded almost foreign to the exorcists' ears. She tightened her grip on his fist as she continued, clearly and carefully, “Are you okay?” 

With more effort than he ought to give, Chongyun opened his mouth to reply. The words I’m fine , were at the back of his throat, just waiting to escape. Instead of saying that, however, Chongyun’s knees buckled. With none of the grace in the world, he fell forward, right into Hu Tao’s shorter frame. With a deceptive amount of strength, she managed to keep both herself and Chongyun upright. She had one arm slung firmly around his waist, and the other hooked under his armpits. 

“I’m going to take that as a no,” Hu Tao offered with a humorless chuckle. Chongyun huffed with much of the same sentiment. 

He stood there limply in Hu Tao’s arms for a long moment. His hands fucking hurt, enough for him to be worried about it. It was far more than just the stinging of split knuckles, it was something that set his nerves alight and seeped into his bones. With the strength he could muster, he flexed the hand Hu Tao had been holding. That sent a jolt of pain down his entire arm before something warm and wet trickled down his fingers, most definitely his own blood. Chongyun focused on that and the feeling of Hu Tao breathing against him. 

“I’m sorry I-” he started, voice ragged from the strain of the fight. He felt a little dazed, not in the way that his condition caused. It was that painfully familiar exhaustion that he wanted desperately to be done with. “How did you even find me?” 

Hu Tao squeezed Chongyun's frame a little tighter for a second. “We can talk about that later. Now,” She loosened her grip. Then, she maneuvered Chongyun so he was at her side, arm properly slung around her shoulders. Chongyun was no help at all on the front of remaining upright.  “We’re going to sit down somewhere where we’re not in immediate danger, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Chongyun took a breath, grounding himself. “Yeah, okay” 

Hu Tao took it one step at a time, allowing Chongyun to put most of his weight on her. There was an ache in his legs, but it was just the same as the ache in the rest of his body: Constant, and just mild enough to ignore. The odd pair staggered up a path, thankfully avoiding any encounters. It was a cloudy night, far too dark for Chongyun to discern the unfamiliar area. He let Hu Tao guide the way. Her eyes almost seemed to glow in the dark, like a beacon just bright enough to hold on to. 

By some stroke of luck, Hu Tao found a tree to plop Chongyun down against. Instantly, he felt some relief at not being on his feet anymore.  “Why are you even out here?” She questioned, only mildly amused, then knelt down beside him. 

“Where even is ‘here,’ exactly?” Chongyun asked, half afraid of the answer. 

“What do you-” Hu Tao started, only to cut herself off. Then, she snapped her hand, allowing a small flame to light at the tip of her index finger. It was dim, hardly helping the limited visibility the dark allowed. “Please don’t tell me you yanged out before this.” Hu Tao leaned in to look carefully in the eyes. He was not sure exactly what she was looking for. “It doesn’t look like you did.” 

“I didn’t.” Chongyun rushed to assure her. “There has just been a lot going on and-” Chongyun closed his eyes in some effort to escape Hu Tao’s gaze. He leaned his head back against the tree with a faint thump. “Can you just tell me where we are?” 

Reservation evident in Hu Tao’s tone, she answered. “Mt. Mingyuan, not too far from Yilong Wharf.” 

Chongyun can’t say with any certainty that he’d ever been up that far north into Liyue. If he had been, it was only the rare trip up to Qiaoying Village for work. “Fucking Archons,” he sighed out. 

“Long way from Wangshu Inn, huh?” She joked, all too casual. 

Abruptly, Chongyun opened his eyes once again to look back at the parlor director. “How did you-?” 

“I know a lot more than you think, Chongyun. I still have some questions though,” she clarified with an air of nonchalance. She had since put out the flame from her hand, eyes filled with that uncanny light. There was an easy grin on her face, just barely wide enough for Chongyun to see. “If you don’t mind me asking.” 

Maybe just the slightest bit flabbergasted, Chongyun stared blankly at Hu Tao for a moment. Her expression did not change, and she just blinked at Chongyun with those eyes.

It was a lot. All of this was a lot, and Chongyun had been feeling that way for months, maybe even years. Just one thing after another, and time marched on and on while these insane things just continued to happen. So much had changed, his life, his friends, his family, the fundamentals of who he was, apparently. Now, here he was, sitting under a tree in an area he hardly knew in the middle of the night. Hu Tao, a person who Chongyun had seen three or four times in the past few months, possibly the only relationship of his that had not been flipped on its head recently, was right there with him. 

Chongyun couldn’t help the curt laugh that escaped his lips. “Sure! Why not?” Was all he could think to say. Exasperated, he reached up to run a hand through his bangs. He was all too suddenly reminded of the state of his hands. Against his best wishes, Chongyun flinched and hissed in pain, drawing his hand down towards his chest. 

“Aiya,” Hu Tao ran a hand over her face, a grimace mixing in with her grin. “You really fucked yourself up, huh?” Her tone was almost teasing. Chongyun honestly did not mind. He himself thought this whole situation was kind of hilarious, too. 

“Yep,” was all he could think to say. In the distance, Chongyun could hear the faint rumble of thunder. Because of course the Archons just had to add insult to injury somehow. 

“Here,” Hu Tao began, reaching to take Chongyun’s hand in hers. She examined the ripped fabric that would normally be covering his knuckles. What remained there was soaked in a truly concerning amount of blood, and was sticking to the open wounds on Chongyun’s hand. He was also fairly certain that one, if not both of his hands were broken. It’s not like he could currently see well enough to tell though. On the other hand, Hu Tao seemed to have no trouble seeing at all. Chongyun could not say he was surprised. 

“My questions can wait until we deal with this.” 

Chongyun sighed, far beyond the point of exhaustion. He was at that stage of tired where you ran out of the energy to really care. “I can talk while you patch me up. It’s not like I have anything better to do.” 

“Someone’s a bit more deadpan than I remember,” She commented. “Have you really been spending that much time with Xiao? He’s starting to rub off on you.” 

Hu Tao reached up Chongyun’s arm to tug down his arm guard and gather the fabric at his wrist. Chongyun let her as he said, “You don’t know the half of it. Or maybe you do, considering how you and Xiao are apparently friends.” 

“I could say the same about you, but Xiao and I go way back. He thinks my jokes are funny. How’d you get him to let you hang around?” She asked, bunching up the fabric with both of her hands, still not pulling it past Chongyun’s wrist. That was until she said, “This is going to hurt,” before she quickly yanked the arm guard off, tearing off the fabric that had gotten stuck to the wounds on Chongyun’s hand. 

Hu Tao was right, it did hurt. A lot, actually, but Chongyun could only bring himself to hiss in pain, too stubborn- or maybe just too tired -to cry out. That definitely re-opened something. Rather than dwelling on that, however, Chongyun opted to answer Hu Tao’s question, albeit a bit strained. “I just did what Zhongli told me to do: I bought him a plate of Almond Tofu.” 

“Of course that old man would tell you how to find Xiao. Aiya, he has no sense of secrecy.” 

Chongyun hummed and watched Hu Tao intently. She was holding his palm in just one hand now, carefully moving it around to properly assess the damage. She took Chongyun’s fingers one at a time and manually flexed them. That’s when Chongyun remembered something. “Wait, so when I asked you how to get in contact with the Adepti you lied abou-” Chongyun’s words were cut short by a jolt of pain when Hu Tao flexed his middle finger the wrong way. 

“Definitely broken,” she commented like it was nothing in the world. She summoned a container of some kind, opened it, and proceeded to pour its contents onto Chongyun’s knuckles. For what it was worth, this was probably the worst pain Chongyun had felt all night. He felt a shout get caught in his throat, coming out as more of a sob. The wounds stung so much his hand shook. Hu Tao’s hand moved her hand from Chongyun’s palm to hold it firmly at his wrist to keep him from pulling it away from the sensation. It took a moment, but Chongyun allowed himself to breathe through the pain, still stinging after Hu Tao stopped pouring the contents of the container onto his hand. 

“What the fuck is that stuff?” He asked through gritted teeth. His eyes widened in near horror as Hu Tao brought the bottle up to her lips and took a quick swing. 

“Snezhnayian Vodka,” Chongyun gave her a look. “What? It’s all I had. Sorry I didn’t expect to run into idiot exorcists in the middle of the night on a work trip. It’s not like it will kill you. Although, that would work out well for me and my business.” Chongyun doubled down on his look, and Hu Tao simply rolled her eyes before holding out the bottle to Chongyun. “Do you want some? It’ll help with the pain, trust.” 

For, perhaps what was too long of a moment, Chongyun considered it. He subtly wiggled his fingers to gauge the pain, which was still very much present, and bordering on not being manageable. Alas, he was still capable of some level of rational thought, and he communicated as much. “No thanks.” 

Hu Tao shrugged, “Your loss,” before taking one last sip, capping the bottle, and casting it away. She took Chongyun’s hand gently in her own once again. A faint red glow emerged from her other palm, which she hovered above Chongyun’s busted knuckles. “Now, back to Xiao. Are you sure all you had to do was buy him a treat before you became friends? Because a little book worm told me that you were off fighting giant monsters on your own before you up and disappeared for a month.” 

There was something almost accusatory in her words, and Chongyun suddenly felt motivated to get as far away from Hu Tao as possible. “So, you’ve been talking to Xingqiu then.” There was more than a little bite to Chongyun’s words. Good. He didn't need someone else getting mad at him when he wasn't trying to do anything wrong. The only thing that kept him in his place was the warm relief he felt in his hand from Hu Tao’s healing abilities. Like a promise not to hurt him, or just a comforting lie. 

“Not just Xingqiu,” Hu Tao admitted, sounding a little guilty. 

Chongyun’s brain immediately ran rampant thinking of possibilities. He couldn't quite tell if it was anger or something far worse running through his veins. It made him want to start fighting all over again. All he could bring himself to do, however, was ask, “Who?”

Hu Tao gave Chongyun’s hand a light squeeze, as if preemptively asking for forgiveness. Maybe she was just asking him to stay. She didn’t meet his eyes when she answered, “Your parents.” 

Rather than his previous anger, Chongyun felt a chill go up his spine. The mere mention of his parents was enough to set him on edge. It always had been, and he’d tried so hard for years to keep them separate from his life with his friends. It was easier to just ignore those issues, because maybe a part of Chongyun was always afraid of people finding out what he had known deep down was wrong there. Look where that got him. Out, sure, but not any better. Maybe even worse. 

If there was anything that Chongyun had learned recently, it’s that the one thing scarier than having to acknowledge the years of abuse that his mom had put him through, was allowing other people to acknowledge the same thing. 

“When did you…” Chongyun couldn't bring himself to finish that sentence. 

“A few days after I ran into you at lunch,” Hu Tao confessed. And that was very much not okay with Chongyun. As if to protect himself from the damage already done, he tried to retract his hand from Hu Tao’s. Unfortunately, it had healed enough for Hu Tao to grip it hard enough to prevent him from doing so without causing the exorcist any more pain. That and the insane death grip that she apparently had. It wasn’t enough to make the teen feel trapped, but it was enough to stop his attempt at moving. “All I got out from them was that they wanted nothing to do with you anymore. Something about you being an, “ungrateful brat.”” 

The pleasant warmth radiating from Hu Tao’s hands increased to something almost dangerous for a brief moment, only to die down before it could cause any real damage. Her usually cheery demeanor was replaced with something bordering on dangerous. Chongyun was seeing a whole new range of emotions from the parlor director that night. “I never liked them, y’know?” 

A tense silence hung in the air, Chongyun unwilling to respond. With Hu Tao like this, in all her unpredictability, he had no idea what to expect. Thunder boomed loudly, a bit closer this time. It was sure to start raining soon, what with that humid evening breeze that carried through the air. It shook the leaves on the trees enough to fill the silence. Chongyun breathed it in, as steady as he could. 

After a long moment, Hu Tao met Chongyun’s cool blue irises with those uncanny, red eyes. “Do you remember that time, a few years ago -you were fourteen, maybe fifteen -when you showed up to the Funeral Parlor in the middle of the night?” She didn’t wait for an answer before continuing. “Because I do. You were nearly yanged out, so I don’t blame you if you don’t. 

“You just knocked on the door, stood there looking at me, and…” Hu Tao flipped over Chongyun’s hand so his palm was facing up. She smoothed her own against it, and Chongyun couldn’t feel it at all. His palms had been callused beyond feeling long ago, and the scars from countless encounters did not help. “Both of your hands were burned, like you placed them on a hot stove, or something. You didn’t say why because I didn’t ask. You slept in the guest bedroom, and left the next day without a word. Neither of us ever brought it up again.” 

Chongyun sat there in stunned silence. He could not for the life of him remember any of that, but Hu Tao sounded far too serious for her to be lying. She loved to mess with people, Chongyun knew that better than most, but she couldn’t be- she wasn’t joking about this. Chongyun did not know what he would do with himself if he was. 

“I was so-” Hu Tao began to say, only to take an abrupt breath. Then, she went on, “I was so worried that you’d done that to yourself in some stupid effort to work on your condition. I know you can be reckless but,” Hu Tao glanced up at the lightning shaped scars that trailed up Chongyun’s exposed arm. “I didn’t think you would ever do something to directly hurt yourself like that. Even when you do things like tonight, or like when you dumped yourself on that lake on Dragonspine. You always have some excuse for a rational reason.” Hu Tao chuckled, but it sounded a lot closer to tears than humor.

“But now with everything with your parents, because apparently the Millelith are involved. All those times when you were injured and it was just played off as reckless little Chongyun, trying to be an exorcist. I just-” The warmth radiating from Hu Tao’s hands stopped, fingers suddenly icy against his. “You're my friend Chongyun, and I just want to know what’s been going on.” 

Chongyun looked at Hu Tao, beyond baffled. He wracked his brain for some reply that would do all that she’d just said to him justice. Because Archons, there was so, so much he could say. So many thanks, and apologies he could tell her. So many excuses that he’d been coming up with over the years, a simple explanation for everything that had caused him to push himself so recklessly time and time again. She deserved that much, because Chongyun had an explanation on the tip of his tongue, but he worried if he said the words they would all come out wrong. Especially with Hu Tao’s concerns about Chongyun hurting himself. Despite everything, he had to admit that even with his good intentions, there was a certain point when that was all he was really doing in his training, directly or not. 

What he came up with was this. “Where do you want me to start?” 

And to that, Hu Tao laughed. Loud and sharp only to trail off into a string of self-defeating giggles. “Archons, you’re impossible,” she let go of Chongyun’s hand at long last to rub her hands over her face. “How about when you decided to become best friends with Xiao.” 

That, Chongyun could do. 

Chongyun went on to explain everything. From the moment that his parents walked through the door and told Chongyun that he couldn’t do the one thing he loved most. When he decided that the only rational train of thought was to uproot his entire life for the sake of some impossible goal. Chongyun admitted that, somewhere down the line, he realized that this whole thing had become less about controlling his condition, and more about learning how to protect the people he loved despite it. He admitted that the only way he felt he could do that was to push all those people to the side and just keep training. 

Chongyun explained how difficult it was to form a friendship with Xiao, and how insane the adeptus really was. Hu Tao had a few stories about that that Chongyun would not be forgetting anytime soon. He told her about all the wild training techniques, from children’s games to near death experiences. When Chongyun said the words, “Capture the flag,” Hu Tao actually lost it. Chongyun told her that despite how unemotional and genuinely odd he was, Xiao was one of the most kind people Chongyun had ever met. Hu Tao also had some things to say on that topic.

Chongyun told Hu Tao everything about Xingqiu, Xiangling, and Xinyan. A lot of which she had heard the other side of already. Chongyun had to admit, it was great to have her hear him out about everything. It was even nicer to have someone who truly understood the relationships that Chongyun had effectively destroyed over the past months. He went on a long winded tangent about years worth of issues with Xingqiu, to which Hu Tao listened to intently. 

Then, of course, there was everything that went down with Chongyun’s mom, and Xiao saving him. There were a lot of details Chongyun left more vague, if for anything but his own sanity. Chongyun told Hu Tao about how he’d been training with Shenhe, Ganyu, and even Venti that one time. About the new, and it was hard to admit it, family that he had found because of his apprenticeship with Xiao. For the first time in a long time, Chongyun felt like he actually had a home worth going back to. 

Somewhere down the line, it really had started raining, making for pleasant background noise to Chongyun's story.  Hu Tao had also managed to heal Chongyun’s other hand, with the help of some more Snezhnayian Vodka, apparently. 

“Wait, so you’re telling me that you’re all buddy buddy now with the Liyue Qixing, half of the Adepti in Liyue, The Conqueror of Demons, and the Anemo Archon himself?” Hu Tao asked, almost in disbelief. 

“Wait… The Anemo Archon? I never mentioned him?”

Hu Tao really was disbelieving now, what with the bewildered expression she gave Chongyun as a reply. “Venti..?” Chongyun only blinked at her, dumbfounded. “You cannot tell me that you played fucking Capture The Flag with the guy, and you still didn’t figure out that he was the Archon.” 

Chongyun just blinked some more. “How would you even know that? Wouldn’t it be some big secret or something?” 

Hu Tao laughed, much more real than any of her other hysterics that night. It left her breathless as she said, “Oh my- It’s like the worst kept secret in all of Tevat. Aiya!” 

“I don’t- I mean I figured he wasn’t human but, the Anemo Archon? Really?” Chongyun was having a hard time wrapping his head around that, and he wasn’t even the one who just had a story about what was, essentially Xiao taking custody over a teenager, told to him. 

“Next time you’re in Mondstadt, do yourself a favor,” Hu Tao pushed her hand in front of her in a grand gesture from where she was now sat next to Chongyun against the tree. “Take a look at the giant statue in the middle of the city that looks exactly like Venti, yeah? That might help clear things up. It's the same hair style and everything.” 

“How do you even know Venti anyway?” Chongyun asked, curious. He settled himself further into his spot. He’d been there for well over two hours at that point, maybe up to five. He felt no need to move any time soon. 

“If you know Xiao, you’re also going to meet Venti at some point. Those two are practically married, and I will object if Xiao doesn’t make me the maid of honor at the wedding,” Chongyun couldn’t help but be amazed at how Hu Tao openly poked fun at the adeptus. “But we also have a shared passion of the arts, he and I. Really, Venti is great company.” 

“He is,” Chongyun admitted, thinking back on all the fun he'd had with the guy. 

The odd pair of friends fell into a comfortable silence. The events of a long day, and an even longer night were weighing on the exorcist, and likely Hu Tao as well. It was beyond nice to be in the presence of a friend, not just someone who was there to train Xiao. Someone who felt inextricably human. Then, of course, there was that weight that was certainly not gone, but definitely less noticeable on Chongyun’s chest. 

For the first time in what felt like a very long time, he took in a deep breath, savoring the cool night air, and it felt like his lungs were really full. Chongyun held onto that, for a few long, wonderful seconds, before letting it back out into the rain. 

“I still have one question.” Hu Tao spoke into the silence. “Why exactly were you out here tonight? You definitely didn’t seem to be having a fun time.” If that wasn’t the understatement of the evening. 

The reality of Chongyun’s situation sank back in all too quickly, and suddenly the air didn’t come so easily after all. “Xiao has been having some… Issues recently. There’s something seriously wrong with him, and I’m not sure what. No one will tell me either- or, maybe nobody knows what’s wrong. I’ve tried talking to Shenhe and Ganyu about it, but they just told me it wasn’t my responsibility, and that there was no real way for me to help Xiao. Which, thanks guys, really encouraging.

“Anyways, earlier tonight, I was waiting up on the balcony for him to arrive to take me to where ever we were supposed to be training. I finally decided that I was just going to ask him what was going on because I don’t really care if it’s not my responsibility to take care of him. I’m worried, and I want to know if he’s, y’know, dying or something equally as bad. He showed up and I asked and… Archons, Hu Tao, he wouldn’t say a word when I asked. And he looked so exhausted. Barely conscious levels of exhaustion, and he stayed about five feet from me the whole time. So I…” Chongyun sighed, long and defeated. “I did the only thing I could think of and got Smiley Yanxiao to make him the Almond Tofu. He took it, but when I asked again about whatever has been wrong, he told me to forget it, and then dropped me off here.” 

Hu Tao hummed, considering. “I know what’s wrong,” She sat up from where she was slumped against the tree, and looked Chongyun dead on. “And I probably shouldn't know as much about it as I do, but, have you ever heard of Karmic Debt?” 

“That sounds familiar, yes,” Chongyun thought back to where he had heard about it before. “I’ve seen it in books, and you mentioned something about karma when we went to those ruins a while ago.”

“When you and Xingqiu dramatically declared that you weren’t friends anymore,” Hu Tao teased. 

Chongyun could only roll his eyes, “Yes, then.” 

“Well, that’s what Xiao has, Karmic Debt, not over the top denouncing of friendships.” Hu Tao clarified, unhelpfully.  “It’s because his job is essentially to kill evil gods, and anything that has the remnants of them, and take the burden of their Karma on himself. And there are ways that he can treat it, kind of like a disease, but Ganyu and Shenhe were right when they said there is nothing you can do about it.” 

Letting these words sink in was a lot. Chongyun would never be satisfied with the possibility that there was simply nothing that he could do. He'd never accept that as an option for as long as he was alive, but it was at least nice to finally have one answer. That still left something unclear. “What if the treatment stops working?" He spoke, considering his next words before continuing. "Because Hu Tao, I know you’ve known Xiao longer than I have, but I’ve been around him every single day for a while now. Something- His Karmic Debt is getting worse, or at least affecting him more. It’s hurting him, and draining his energy all the time. I can't just sit around while it... while it fucking kills him.” 

Once again, Hu Tao considered Chongyun's words. Her expression was serious, an expression Chongyun was still getting used to seeing on her. “I have someone who I will talk to about this. He should be able to do something, and no. I cannot tell you who it is. Not because I don’t trust you, it’s just not my information to share.” 

That was more reassurance that Chongyun had gotten in months. He couldn’t help but sigh in relief at this glimmer of hope that Xiao was actually going to be okay. The exorcist was fine not having answers, as long as he could be certain of that. 

“One last thing,” Hu Tao started, because of course there was. “About the, ‘you not having a fun time tonight.’ What exactly was all that about, Chongyun? I know you already poured your heart out to me and everything tonight, but, I just wanna know that you’re okay. Like, right now, not in general. You’re all sorts of fucked up, buddy.” 

“Thanks, I really appreciate it,” Chongyun deadpanned before sitting up himself to properly look at Hu Tao. Those bright eyes were still, as they always would be, a lot. Chongyun found himself looking away into the cold, darkness of the night before he could open his mouth to say, “Everything with Xiao, and my parents, and my training, just… All of it has been,” Chongyun couldn’t think of any apt words. “It’s been a lot. And, I don’t think I’ve been dealing with it as well as I could have been. On a long term scale, actually, I haven't been dealing well. I think it came to a head tonight.” 

Hu Tao reached out to place a hand on Chongyun’s shoulder. The gesture was so familiar, not from Hu Tao, no, that right belonged to Xiao. Chongyun, despite himself, felt great comfort in the contact. He leaned into the touch. “It felt… Good, in a way. To put all of that aside and just fight something. And getting to feel it with my hands,” Chongyun glanced down at his knuckles. There were no new scars there from tonight. Chongyun can’t remember the last time he got hurt and didn’t have a scar to show for it. “It was kind of cathartic.” 

The hand on his shoulder squeezed a little tighter. Chongyun placed his own hand over it and looked back at Hu Tao. “I didn’t do it to hurt myself, but I can’t say that’s not why I kept at it for so long.” It felt like a confession that went far beyond that evening alone. 

It felt almost natural for Chongyun to let Hu Tao pull him into a hug. It was awkward and uncomfortable because of the angle, but he let it happen all the same. It took a moment of him just sitting there, letting himself be held, before he wrapped his arms around Hu Tao in return. Despite how icy her hands were when she wasn’t using her vision, cold enough to feel dead, Hu Tao was quite warm. A comfort on that cold, rainy night. It was hard for Chongyun to point towards the exact time when he first felt cold, but it made him welcome warmth that much more. 

“You know you can talk to me any time, right?” Hu Tao offered into Chongyun’s shoulder. He just nodded his head, a little tired of speaking after his night. “Good. Because I… I get it, to some extent and Archons, you kind of fucked up dude, but,” She rubbed a hand up and down Chongyun’s back a few times. “It’s not easy to push me away, and I’m sure you’ve seen in your efforts to ruin your own life.” 

Chongyun laughed, or maybe sobbed into Hu Tao’s hair. He wasn’t quite sure at that point. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

“Good,” Hu Tao replied in earnest. “Now,” she pushed Chongyun slightly to break the hug. Her eyes were directed to the distant horizon where Chongyun was sure she could see the beginnings of dawn. “Let’s get back to Yilong Wharf. I have a room there because of my work trip. You can pass out there for a little while. And you are not convincing me you’re not tired, yeah?” 

Chongyun huffed, allowing that exhaustion to really set in now that he knew he had somewhere to sleep for a while. “I don’t think I could even convince myself of that anymore.”

Chapter Text

The next morning- well, more like mid afternoon -Chongyun woke up to the sound of Hu Tao loudly shushing someone. Chongyun, still in his half-asleep state, noted that that entirely defeated the point of shushing someone. It always seemed foolish to him, commanding silence with so much noise. Then again, people were stubborn creatures. Chongyun couldn’t think of any other way to get them to listen, not when it really mattered. 

The next thing he noted is that he was not, in fact, in his bedroom back in Liyue Harbor, nor was he in his room at the Inn. It was somewhere entirely new, and unfamiliar. It resembled a hotel room, more stiff than the homey decor of the Wangshu Inn. Chongyun was quite used to waking up in unfamiliar places, what with his condition, but it didn’t mean it ever got any easier. It always brought on a sense of dread that could only come with the consequences of your own actions. 

The bed Chongyun lay in had a thick comforter that was pushed half off the bed, not touching him at all. It looked heavy  and far away. He was still in his clothes from the day before. There were splatters of red blood that stood out starkly against the white material. Chongyun really needed to add some black to his wardrobe, all things considered. Light shone dimly through closed, thin curtains, accompanied by the familiar sound of rain puttering against the building from outside. It sounded like a lullaby, and felt like a dream. Chongyun desperately wanted to go back to sleep. 

Thunder rumbled from the sky, and that reminded Chongyun: it had been raining since last night. Just like that, the events from the previous evening came flooding back into Chongyun’s mind. “Fucking Archons,” he muttered in self defeat. It was beyond nice to pour his heart out to Hu Tao, but it didn’t make the situation as a whole any easier. 

He flopped his head back against the pillows and laid an arm over his eyes. If he tried to, he really could will himself back to sleep. Maybe if he tried harder, he could teleport himself back to the Inn where he wouldn’t need to worry about anything at all. 

Chongyun didn’t have too much time to dwell on those fantasies, as another familiar voice carried through the walls of the room. 

“Where is Chongyun, is he okay?” Xiao said, words quick and bordering on the edge of  concern. The exorcist was suddenly wide awake. 

“Says the guy who dropped him off in the middle of the mountains last night,” Hu Tao quipped. Her tone was far from accusatory, more matter of fact than anything else. Chongyun could see the deadpan look Xiao was giving her, even without being able to see the adeptus’ face. 

“I was going to pick him up,” Xiao defended. 

“Before or after he decided that his new weapon of choice was his bare hands?” 

Chongyun winced at the words, despite knowing they weren’t meant to target him. Reflexively, he brought his hands together and rubbed over where his knuckles had been split just hours ago. They didn’t hurt at all, but he could hardly feel anything beyond the pressure he was putting on the scarred skin. Not that the numbness was anything new. 

Without his arm guards, Chongyun could see the burn scars that ran all the way up his limbs. The very ends of them disappeared under the sleeves of his over shirt. They faded far beyond what Chongyun remembered from the last time he’d bothered to take a long look at the lighting shaped patterns on his skin. However, they were still painfully visible, and itched slightly in the humidity from the rain. Chongyun didn’t think he would ever quite get used to them, or the new feeling of his own skin. Especially the remnants of the gash on his torso from the Geovishap. Sometimes, when he twisted his body too far, he could feel the scar tissue pulling uncomfortably. When it was really bad, Chongyun swore that he could feel the wound re-opening, despite having long since healed. 

Chongyun didn’t spend too much longer dwelling over the issue. Not when he heard Xiao say, “He what?” More than a little surprised. 

With a long, drawn out sigh, Chongyun pushed himself to sit up, and get out of the bed. His limbs still felt heavy with sleep, begging him to lie back down and pass out until the next day’s morning. Chongyun had to admit, he was tempted to listen. Ultimately, his mind won over his body. The exorcist stood, and made his way to the door. 

The second Chongyun was out of the room, before he even saw Hu Tao or Xiao, he had the inexplicable feeling that something was off. He couldn’t place it, even if he tried, but something in the atmosphere of the room was just incorrect. Like everything was pushed slightly to the left, and it had Chongyun feeling a little unsteady. He blamed it on his lack of sleep, despite the fact that he had never felt such a way before. 

After turning the corner out of a short hallway, the feeling only got stronger. Then, Chongyun was face to face with a tired looking Hu Tao, and a disheveled Xiao. 

Hu Tao spotted the exorcist first. She was holding herself stiffly, a far cry from her usual carefree demeanor. Chongyun quickly started to consider that the off feeling wasn’t just him. The parlor director made a grand gesture in Chongyun's direction. “Why don’t you ask him, yeah?” 

Xiao’s head snapped in Chongyun’s direction, with wide eyes. There was something different about them, and the odd tension in the room only grew. At the very least, Chongyun noticed that Xiao looked less exhausted than yesterday, but maybe a bit manic. Like someone who was hopped up on caffeine to push through an all nighter into the next day. Chongyun couldn’t help but sympathize. 

“Ask me what?” Chongyun prompted, like he hadn’t been listening in on their conversation. 

There was a beat of silence, followed by a puff of wind, and suddenly Xiao was mere feet in front of Chongyun, instead of half way across the room. That feeling, that inherent wrongness, only seemed to increase with Xiao’s proximity. “Are you okay?” The adeptus asked. He sounded far calmer than he looked. 

“I-” Chongyun glanced over Xiao’s shoulder at Hu Tao to try and make sense of this. He shot her a look that he hoped communicated “What’s Xiao’s deal?” and Hu Tao unhelpfully shrugged, just as clueless as the exorcist. With a huff, Chongyun looked Xiao in the eye, and immediately felt the urge to look away once again. Despite this, he didn’t. “I’m okay Xiao. Hu Tao was there to-”

“What happened?” Xiao said with an air of seriousness Chongyun hadn’t seen from the Adeptus before. It was layered with something frantic that left Chongyun even more uneasy than before. 

“Nothing, okay? It was nothing.” Hu Tao took that as her queue to shoot Chongyun a look, something disapproving and deadpan. Chongyun had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He looked back at Xiao, who’s expression hadn’t changed at all. “Okay, it wasn’t nothing. I got carried away and got myself injured, but Hu Tao helped out. My hands don’t even hurt-” 

Chongyun was cut off by Xiao grabbing his wrist to pull his hand into view. Xiao’s grip wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but it was enough for Chongyun to know that he couldn’t get his hand free if he tried. The Adeptus carefully examined Chonyun’s knuckles, taking in every detail. Like if he looked hard enough, he’d be able to prove to himself that Chongyun never got hurt at all. Well, that’s if Xiao could ignore the years worth of scars that littered the young exorcists' hands. 

Trapped in Xiao’s grasp, Chongyun could only glance from his teacher, back to Hu Tao over and over. He was more confused than anything else, but then it happened. 

Almost too subtly to detect, Xiao flinched, but that didn’t deter him from his examination. Chongyun, on the other hand, felt a sudden and visceral sense of dread, so strong that he felt he would have fallen over if Xiao wasn’t holding onto his wrist so tightly. It was like every bad feeling he had ever experienced all condensed into a single, unbearable emotion that left him frozen. He couldn’t place the source, which only added to the feeling. And there was a sort of sensation that Chongyun could only describe as inherently incorrect and wrong that stemmed from where Xiao held onto him, and ran through his whole body. Chongyun didn’t know if he wanted to run, or scream, or what, but all he could do in that moment was stand there. 

By some merciful act from the Archons, Hu Tao walked up and placed her hand on Xiao’s shoulder and said, “Aiya, my healing abilities aren’t that bad Xiao. Chongyun should be just fine, physically, that is.” There was a forced air of lightness to her tone, a thin veil over her own unease. 

This prompted Xiao to let go of Chongyun’s hand, seemingly unaware of what had just come over the exorcist. The relief he felt as soon as Xiao did so was like nothing in the world, but was soon dampened by Xiao’s expression. It had morphed into something… angry. Chongyun could say with confidence that he’d never seen Xiao truly upset until that moment, when he glared at Hu Tao. There was still something off in his eyes. 

“He should have never gotten hurt in the first place,” he bit. The only comfort Chongyun had was that his voice remained level. Its tone was enough to put Chongyun on edge.

Hu Tao rolled her eyes, something playful despite the situation. “Chongyun can take a few hits, Xiao. Trust me, I’ve seen him in far worse shape than this,” The teen winced, remembering that Hu Tao had told him last night. “He’s reckless, not fragile.” 

Chongyun started to say, “Hey,” in protest to Hu Tao’s, frankly truthful assessment of Chongyun’s recklessness. Xiao, however, butt in before Chongyun could even finish the word. 

“He’s too reckless for his own good. One day, he’s going to get hurt, and there isn’t going to be anyone there to save him. You can’t deny that.” The words were harsh, even for Xiao. Chongyun couldn’t help but take a small step back. He hardly even noticed he did it. Much in the same way that Xiao’s hands clenched into fists at his side. 

Hu Tao’s own eyes flashed with something angry, but her expression remained carefully cheery. “Sure are putting a lot of faith in the people that care about Chongyun, huh? What, are you the only one able to protect him?” She offered with a touch of sarcasm. 

Xiao didn’t seem to get the joke. With a hint of hysteria, he said, “Like any of them have been there for him over the past few months. Not his alleged friends, not his family, not you, not even me. No one is there to help him when he really needs it, and look where that got him? Hurt, again. So no, I’m not going to give anyone in his life any credit right now.”Chongyun noted that these words were far too vulnerable for Xiao. He also felt a pang of something awful as they left Xiao’s mouth.

“I think you’re not giving Chongyun himself enough credit,” Hu Tao bit, crossing her arms. The light in her eyes glowed with something protective, like that wasn’t in direct contrast to her words. 

“It doesn’t matter how much credit I give anyone! He keeps on getting himself hurt, no matter what I do. I can’t save him, Hu Tao! And you can’t either! No one can stop Chongyun from getting himself into horrible situations” Xiao took a step forward towards Hu Tao, but the parlor director stayed firmly in place. Chongyun wanted nothing more than to leave the room, and get as far away as possible. “All he ever does is hurt himself and nobody has been able to help him! And I can’t either, and he can’t save himself. For fucks sake!” 

“What are you even talking about Xiao?” She asked, with a harsh laugh. “Tevat is full of monsters. If you pick fights with them, you’re going to get banged up, yeah? Chongyun is still standing.” Hu Tao gestured vaguely in his direction, but Xiao kept looking at her. “We all are. And we’re all reckless, and you need to calm down.” 

“I haven’t done enough to make sure anyone stays alive! I-” Xiao ran a hand through his hair, growing more frantic by the second. “I… I always let people get hurt. I always let him get hurt. I can’t even protect my apprentice, and he keeps on doing stupid shit because of me. I, why can’t… Shit.” Slowly, Xiao started to take steps away from Hu Tao. 

The parlor director finally glanced back at Chongyun, concern now bleeding into her expression. Chongyun felt much the same way, unnerved by Xiao’s erratic behavior. He tried not to let the hurt from his harsh words sink in. He had never seen the Adeptus so emotional, but there was something else to it. Something that left a pit of dread to form in Chongyun’s stomach. He tried to tell himself that Xiao was clearly not in his right mind at the moment. It didn’t help the teen’s sanity much, to say the least.  He was scared, and hadn’t the slightest clue what to do. 

Chongyun looked from Hu Tao back to Xiao a few times before finally asking, “Xiao, what’s wrong?” 

“What’s wrong?” The adeptus scoffed. “All of this is fucking-” He buried his head in his hands and took a harsh breath. The next thing Chongyun knew, Xiao turned on his heel, and he slammed his fist into the wall behind him, cracking the stone with a loud thud. 

The room fell silent as Hu Tao and Chongyun gazed at the Adeptus in his display of emotion. Chongyun had seen Xiao fight, but the exorcist could not recall a time where he seemed so… Violent. It left him shaky, and Chongyun could not ignore the way his heart rate picked up. All he could focus on in the moment to keep his composure was his breathing. Despite his shock, Chongyun’s eyes locked onto the inky black that was trailing up Xiao’s arm. 

Hu Tao was the first to move. Her pace was quick as she approached Xiao, hesitating once she was a few feet away.. Chongyun could not see Xiao’s face, but his hand was still in the same place he had struck the wall. Heavy, yet silent breaths wracked his frame. 

Chongyun kept his eyes trained firmly on Xiao’s tainted arm. He was too afraid to blink, for fear that something horrible may happen in the instant he could not see. 

“Xiao, do I need to-” 

“I’m fine.” The Adeptus cut Hu Tao short with his curt words. Suddenly, he stood straight, but kept his focus on the broken wall. “I’m fine,” he repeated. Chongyun wasn’t sure who he repeated it for. Without a word, Xiao summoned a bag of Mora and held it out towards Hu Tao. “For the wall,” was all the elaboration he provided. 

“Wha-” Hu Tao looked at Chongyun, blinked, then looked back at Xiao. “I don’t care about the wall Xiao. What was that? What is going on with you? Is it your condition? Because I swear to the Archons-” 

“Hu Tao,” Xiao said, stern this time. It was so far from the anger that he’d displayed just moments ago. He sounded more resigned now. As Xiao spoke, he turned to the parlor director. “I said I’m fine. Now please, just take this Mora.” 

From the look of it, the last thing Hu Tao wanted to do was to just take the Mora and move on. There must have been something in Xiao’s eye, however, that made her take it anyway. Chongyun didn’t miss the way that both Xiao and Hu Tao avoided touching each other in the exchange. “I need you to tell me if something is really wrong,” Hu Tao said, more earnestly than Chongyun had ever heard her before. It was only then that the exorcist realized how good of friends Hu Tao and Xiao really were. 

“I will,” Xiao said, just as earnest. Then, he turned to Chongyun, and acknowledged him directly for what felt like the first time in forever. “Chongyun, are you ready to go back to the Inn?” 

The teen blinked, entirely unsure what to do. He felt off kilter, and Chongyun couldn’t quite place why. The odd feeling that the room had when Chongyun first entered had vanished somewhere along the way, probably when Xiao punched the wall. Like a bubble of tension burst, and all that was left was the quiet aftermath. Somehow, that feeling was worse. Chongyun tried to take a deep breath, but it got caught in his throat, leaving him drowning for a moment that could have lasted forever. He swallowed, tried again, and then said, “Yes, I am.” He tried to ignore the slight shake in his voice. Its presence only served to make him more on edge. Like Xiao could sense his fear and vulnerability. He would weed it out, and that could never end well for Chongyun. 

Xiao huffed, then turned back to Hu Tao. He said something that Chongyun could not hear to her, then walked over to the teen. His footsteps were calculated, like one wrong move would set off a bomb. Chongyun was unsure if the bomb was himself, or Xiao. The last thing he wanted to do was find out. 

A mere foot away from Chongyun, Xiao reached out his hand to place on his shoulder. The gesture was familiar in every sense of the word. Chongyun could easily describe the feeling of Xiao’s gloved hand landing on his shoulder, with a gentle, yet grounding grip. One that promised not to leave Chongyun behind. The way it felt when the wind swept them wherever Xiao would take them, safely and kindly as it may. The way it did not feel like a loss when Xiao let go. If someone were to ask Chongyun, he would not be able to tell them why, this time, he flinched. 

The flash of emotion in the Adeptus’ eyes was not lost to the teen. It was impossible for him to discern what it meant, but he had a feeling it was anything but good. Xiao placed his hand on Chongyun’s shoulder anyway, and as soon as the Inn’s balcony faded into view, Xiao let go, and took a few steps back. 

“Xiao I-” Chongyun stopped himself, not entirely sure what he wanted to say. Xiao’s expression was carefully neutral as he crossed his arms over his chest. There wasn’t a hint of that darkness to be seen on his skin. That did little to put Chongyun at ease. Not when Xiao was gazing at him without even a hint of emotion. It felt like a caricature of what was supposed to be normal. Chongyun figured that he might as well continue the charade. 

He sighed as he asked, “Is there anything you had planned for training today?” 

Xiao then looked past Chongyun toward the horizon. He let his gaze linger there for a long moment. Quiet hung heavy in the air, and Chongyun shifted his weight from foot to foot in anticipation. Xiao broke the silence by simply saying, “It’s raining.” 

“Um,” Chongyun turned his head to look at the scenery before looking back towards Xiao. Heavy, dark clouds cast Dihua Marsh in shadow, as rain fell steadily from the sky. It was peaceful, despite the odds. “Yeah, it is.” 

Xiao blinked, and it was only then that Chongyun realized that Xiao’s eyes didn’t hold their usual glow. “You can’t-” 

Before Xiao could go on another tangent, Chongyun offered. “I’ve trained plenty in the rain, Xiao. With my vision, it actually helps quite a bit.” His tone was overly cheery, like it could convince both himself and Xiao that nothing was wrong. 

“Chongyun you’re-” Xiao looked the teen directly in the eye. “You’re exhausted, you need to get some rest. We can train tomorrow. I’ll have Verr get some food ready for you. I just don’t want-” 

“You don’t want what? For me to get hurt?” Chongyun snapped, surprising even himself. The words came rushing out, desperate to be heard. Chongyun let himself continue. “Well that’s too little too late Xiao. The least you can do is give me something to do today to make all this hurt worth it.” 

“You won’t be able to get anything done in your state Chongyun-” 

“Oh says you!” Xiao went stiff right away. “You look half dead, Xiao! You have for the past few weeks, and that doesn’t stop you. Archons, you’ve been working harder than usual. You’re always injured, and something else is clearly wrong with you. I’ve been asking everyone who knows you what’s been going on, but they keep telling me there is nothing I can do to help. And despite this, you just keep going, so why can’t I?”

“Chongyun, we’re not going to have this conversation right now. We’re both-” 

“And another thing!” Chongyun could feel himself start to shake. He didn’t have the heart to stop now that he’d gotten started. “You’re so worried about me getting hurt, but you had no issue sending me to fight something that could have damn well killed me when we first met! What changed? Did you just feel bad? Is that what this has been about? Are you just trying to make up for me getting hurt? Because you feel bad?” 

A wave of genuine confusion crossed Xiao’s face, only to morph into something closer to anger. “Chongyun, no,” he said sternly. “That is not why I decided to train you, and I didn’t mean for you to get hurt then. I definitely won’t let that happen now.”

“I don’t always need someone there to help me, or to guide me, or to protect me!” Chongyun, despite himself, took a step forward. That off feeling from the hotel returned. Chongyun chose to ignore it. “Fuck, Xiao, I’ve been trying over and over to prove that I’m good enough, and- and…” Chongyun trailed off, looking anywhere but Xiao to try and figure out what he was even saying. 

Xiao uncrossed his arms to rub a hand over his face. He took a breath that turned into a heavy sigh. “And what, Chongyun?” 

Just then, Chongyun had a stupid idea. More stupid than any idea he had ever had. More stupid than starting this whole apprenticeship in the first place. More stupid than putting any friendship to an end. Certainly more stupid than trying to beat a horde of hillichurls with his bare hands. “And I am going to prove that I’m good enough.” Chongyun stood up as straight as he could and looked at his teacher, “I want to spar, Xiao.” 

“What?” Was all the Adeptus had to say. 

“I want to spar you, ” Chongyun clarified. A light breeze brushed Chongyun’s cheek; it felt like a warning. “No strings attached, no holding back.” 

Xiao studied Chongyun, as if trying to figure out the punchline to some sick joke. “We don’t need to fight for you to prove to me that you’re good enough, Chongyun.” 

“Yes we do,” Chongyun said with finality. He knew damn well that he couldn’t take these words back. “And then you’re going to let yourself get help with your Karmic debt, Xiao.” 

There was a beat of silence, only filled by the rain falling down on the roof of the Wangshu Inn. “You know about that?” 

“Yes,” Chongyun could already feel the cold energy from his vision running into his hands. Chongyun was suddenly itching for this fight, eager to make all of this worth it for himself. “So are we going to fight or not?” 

There was that hint of something manic in Xiao’s eye. It was a darkness that dampened the light, and Chongyun could already feel deep in his very soul that he was going to regret this. Despite what his words would suggest, Chongyun was not mad at Xiao. The exorcist wasn’t sure what he was mad about. Everything had been - fine wasn’t the right word, but it was the only one Chongyun had - that morning. But Xiao’s words, whether he truly meant them or not, set something off in the already unstable teen. Chongyun just felt like he had to do something to let things out rather than just holding onto them again. And for what it was worth, Xiao was not a monster. Chongyun felt no real reason to be afraid. 

“Fine,” Xiao answered finally. Before Chongyun could make sense of what was going on, he felt several gusts of wind, and he was standing in the shallow water of Dihua Marsh, the Inn still in view, but only a mere silhouette in the rain. Xiao was now standing further away from Chongyun. He had his polearm, in all its jade glory, in one hand. He moved the other over his face in one practiced motion to summon his Yaksha mask. He stood, far too relaxed for a man about to fight the very student he trained, with an aura of something awful around him.

“Whenever you’re ready, human .” 

Xiao’s words carried clearly across the distance and through the rain. They stung Chongun like nothing had ever stung him before. He pushed the feeling down, and summoned his claymore. It felt far too heavy in his bare hands. 

Chongyun took a steading breath. The cool, humid air seeped into his lungs, allowing him to feel a little more in control, maybe even a bit more alive. It was a comforting feeling, like everything he ever wanted laid right before him. All Chongyun had to do was get there. He felt the cold run from his chest, into his limbs, and right back into those scarred fingers.  He tightened them, then relaxed them around the handle of his weapon a few times. A drop of rain fell onto Chongyun’s nose, and Xiao was standing perfectly still a short distance away. 

The exorcist closed his eyes, took one last breath, then launched himself forwards into the fight. 

Chapter Text

Cold rain pelted on his skin as Chongyun propelled himself forward. It set his nerves alight, making the teen hyperaware of every move he made. One foot in front of the other, with heavy strides as Chongyun was weighed down by the shallow water below him. It begged and pleaded for him to slow down, to stop this, to turn back while he still could. It was not worth it to pick this fight, but beg and plead with all its might, Chongyun did not slow down. He was not going to stop now, not when he’d already come this far. 

Chongyun rapidly approached Xiao, who was unmoving, but still with an aura of something so very wrong surrounding him. That also did little to deter the exorcist. With his blade gripped in two hands at his side, Chongyun pushed on to strike as soon as he could. He knew, above all else, that he had to make his first move count. 

Time moved in slow motion as Chongyun came face to face with the Adeptus. The distantly familiar mask Xiao adorned seemed to stare directly into Chongyun’s soul, a challenge of will that Chongyun would do his damndest to win. He raised his blade to strike, swinging towards Xiao’s still frame as he came within inches of him. As expected, however, Xiao vanished before any contact could be made. Chongyun felt a puff of wind at his left side, and followed through with his strike, forcing all his momentum into it. Digging his heels into the ground, Chongyun allowed his blade to spin him back around in the direction he came from. He planted his feet, and pulled up his claymore into a block, just in time to counter the strike Xiao tried to deliver from behind. 

The long handle of Xiao’s polearm was braced against Chongyun’s blade, and the adeptus was pushing his weapon with both hands. Chognyun’s defense did not falter, and for a long moment, he stared into the blank eyes of Xiao’s mask. 

If you were to have asked Chongyun a few months ago, maybe even a day ago, he would have never even thought of fighting Xiao. Not like this. He could not even begin to explain what had changed. He could take cruel words and mistreatment, he had endured as much for years. While they stung more than they ought to coming from Xiao, that alone would not have set Chongyun off. Seventeen years of emotional suppression was enough to prove that. He was just on edge, and exhausted, and just wanted to prove to himself that he could do this, because Xiao’s words planted a new seed of self doubt in the teen that rooted far too fast. And something was clearly wrong with the Adeptus, and Chongyun had to prove to Xiao that he needed to get better somehow. This, in all his irrationality, seemed like the only option. 

Looking at that cold, unfeeling mask, Chongyun had to admit that a part of him was afraid. A part of Chongyun would always be afraid of Xiao, and what the teen knew he was capable of. Chongyun, however, was never afraid that Xiao would hurt him, not in a way that mattered. Perhaps that was what led Chongyun to make the choice he did. Maybe it was something else entirely. Still, a chill ran up his spine, and Chongyun had a feeling it was not from the icy rain falling from the sky. 

Bracing himself, and mustering his strength, Chongyun pushed back against Xiao’s weapon. A silent faceoff as the two stood, unmoving for a long moment. Then, in the blink of an eye, their weapons slid apart, and both were pushed back several feet with the force of it. 

Xiao staggered, for just a moment, and Chongyun took his chance to take a quick breath, and summon a spirit blade to cast down on Xiao. The strike was fast, but not fast enough as Xiao dashed out of the way with a burst of anemo energy. Chongyun muttered a mantra that would forever be familiar on his lips, and cast two more back to back, only for Xiao to dodge both the same way he had the first. The Adeptus was left unscathed, with his weapon still firmly in hand. 

The two were left at a distance once again, waiting for the other to make the next move. Xiao took calculated, slow footsteps, as if he had all the time in the world. Slowly, he circled Chongyun, keeping his eyes on the teen with every step. Chongyun did much the same, unwilling to be caught off guard for even a moment. He had this sinking feeling that if Xiao sensed any weakness or flaw for even a moment, he would strike, and he would make it count. So, Chongyun held his ground, while Xiao watched, and waited. Every move precise, but there was something there that Chongyun could feel more than he could see. That manic energy that had been in Xiao’s eyes back in that hotel room, it had not gone away. 

It was contained behind that Archons forsaken mask. Chongyun had almost forgotten how difficult it was to read his teacher with it on. There was no room for even an ounce of emotion, and Xiao held himself so carefully with it on, Chongyun felt lost on what his next move should be. 

Just then, with a loud, deafening crack, lightning struck the ground nearby. That jolted Chongyun into action despite his better judgment. With the fastest strides he could muster, despite the water weighing him down, Chongyun rushed Xiao again. He raised his claymore to strike again, but didn’t act fast enough. Xiao vanished before Chongyun could even start to swing. 

Then, all too suddenly, Chongyun felt a kick to his side that left him staggering, but he managed to keep himself from falling over. The blow stung, and Chongyun could already tell it was going to leave a nasty bruise. Air did not flow into his lungs easily when he tried to take steadying breaths. Chongyun planted his blade into the ground to keep himself upright, only to see Xiao appear a few feet in front of him once again. He still held his calculated stride and his unwavering gaze. 

“It’s like you’ve learned nothing,” Xiao bit, words cold in a way that reminded Chongyun of someone who he’d rather not be thinking about. It brought on this horrible feeling that came with being talked down to. Something that tried to solidify the distance between Xiao and Chongyun’s abilities. Chongyun would not back down so easy. 

He forced his weight back onto his feet, willing his breathing to even out. “It’s not exactly easy to fight someone who can teleport,” he said between gasps. He watched as Xiao adjusted his grip on his polearm, a move hardly noticeable if you weren’t paying attention. After a moment, and once he was sure he had regained control of his lungs, Chongyun stood tall, and started to lift his claymore from the ground. Before he could complete the movement, Xiao dashed past Chongyun, leaving a searing pain in his side as a result. 

The shock of the strike caused Chongyun to cast away his sword. He instantly moved his left hand to his right side to seal the wound in cryo. Chongyun didn’t even want to look at it, for fear that the reality of this situation would sink in. He needed a plan, and fast, or this would be over as soon as it started. 

“You started this fight, human.” Xiao’s voice rang from behind. There was something wrong with it. 

Chongyun spun in the direction of the sound, using all of his willpower to ignore the spasm of pain that came from his side. Xiao was already gone, but a breeze came from Chongyun’s side. Xiao was there, slashing down with his polearm. Chongyun summoned his weapon just in time to block, but Xiao followed through with the motion. He hit his student in the side of the head with the back end of the spear, sending Chongyun tumbling to his hands and knees. “Did I not tell you to pick and choose your battles carefully?” 

The exorcist was left in water, where his clothes would be drenched if rain weren’t pouring from the sky. Tentatively, he lifted a hand to feel his cheek where he’d been hit. It came back red, the color washing away as drops continued to fall.

“Shit,” Chongyun whispered, trying to choke back his fear. He focused instead on the memory of Xiao saying those exact words on a different rainy day, in a much different scenario. That stupid game of capture the flag had been so fun, and Chongyun wasn’t sure what had changed so dramatically since then to lead to all this. It felt like a lifetime ago, and Chongyun would give anything to have it back. 

Despite what felt like everything in the entire universe telling him to stay down, Chongyun got back up, and summoned his weapon once again. With thoughts of that day back in Mondstadt in mind, Chongyun suddenly had an idea. 

Xiao was back at a distance, movement as before. Chongyun kept his eyes on the hand Xiao had on his weapon. Even with the space between the two, Chongyun swore he could see the beginnings of that dreaded darkness creeping past Xiao’s glove. It made Chongyun want to scream, and curse out whichever Archon was close enough to listen. It wasn’t fucking fair, none of this was, but there wasn’t enough time to be angry, or to think, or scream, or cry. So, Chongyun just planted his feet firmly beneath him, and watched the Adeptus. 

“You did tell me that,” Chongyun finally answered Xiao’s question. He watched and waited, muttering under his breath, and feeling cryo energy flow through his veins. Just then, Xiao adjusted his grip on his weapon once again, and vanished. 

Chongyun held his breath, and felt the wind brush past his side. The exorcist ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow Xiao tried to deliver. He moved to strike again, but Chongyun swept out Xiao’s feet from under him with a swift motion of his leg, even through the shallow water. The Adeptus vanished before he could hit the ground, giving Chongyun a brief moment to prepare himself before releasing the air from his lungs. 

In the same instant, a puff of wind blew from behind Chongyun, and a spirit blade struck down at its source. He looked over to see a disoriented Xiao, clutching his forearm, where blood closer to black than red dripped from. “Maybe I’m just bad at listening,” Chongyun supplied. 

He didn’t waste another second before summoning his weapon to slam into the ground, transforming the shallow water into a thick layer of ice. Xiao, unable to anticipate the move, got his foot frozen to the ground in the process. Chongyun rushed at him, with years of practice allowing him to easily navigate his way across the slick ground. He swung at him, but Xiao broke free with another dash propelled by anemo energy. Something in his demeanor, perfect in the way of a trained soldier, was now broken. 

The dark aura around him had only increased, and it bled into his words as Xiao said, “Don’t make this the last thing you ever do.” His speech was strangled, but Xiao did not so much as falter as his weapon appeared in hand. His hand was firm on its long handle, despite the blood still dripping down his arm. 

There wasn’t enough time for the words to linger in the air before Chongyun was moving in to attack again, forcing Xiao to block. He swung back, only for Chongyun to meet the blow with his blade. Xiao stepped back, retracting his weapon, only to stab back. Chongyun pushed his foot, allowing himself to slide out of the way on the ice. He swung back, the strike counted easily by Xiao. Chongyun tired again, but Xiao was already dashing out of the way. A small barrage of spirit blades were sent in his direction, and Xiao dashed back in Chongyun’s direction. The exorcist blocked the best he could. 

“You won’t kill me,” Chongyun said, staring through Xiao’s mask, to hopefully look him in the eye. 

Xiao broke back, then did a quick series of attacks that Chongyun had seen the adeptus perform many times before. He backed up, avoiding any injury. Then, Chongyun went to deliver his own series of strikes, only for Xiao to dash out of the way. He planted his spear in the ice at an angle behind him, halting his momentum. Then, Xiao did some absurd backflip maneuver to jump onto the handle of the weapon. It launched him into the air, only for Xiao to summon it back into his hand.   

Chongyun only realized Xiao was doing a slam attack soon enough for him to scramble out of the way, barely avoiding the brunt of the force. Xiao was knelt on the ice for a moment, and he looked with those blank eyes at Chongyun. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” 

A whole mix of emotions surged through Chongyun. There was something shouting at him that that was not Xiao, at least not as Chongyun knew him. There was another telling Chongyun that he’d brought Xiao’s wrath upon himself, and that something like this was going to happen no matter what. He was scared, but far less than he should be. On top of that, Chongyun was angry and confused, and all he knew to do in this situation was to keep fighting. That’s what he always did after all, long before he had even met Xiao.   

Chongyun sent another spirit blade down on Xiao, distracting him just long enough to leave him open. Swiftly, Chongyun went in to attack again, cryo energy infused into his weapon to add to the force of it. With reflexes that would never fail to baffle the exorcist, Xiao blocked, but was pushed back, skidding across the ice. He hardly managed to keep his balance, which gave Chongyun the opportunity to swing again, and again, but to no avail. 

And so it went, back and forth between student and master. They exchanged blows, dancing across the ice, which stubbornly refused to melt. This was much to the disdain of Xiao, but was nothing but a good thing for Chongyun. The teen used it to his advantage, sliding around the battlefield, giving him just enough mobility to keep up with Xiao’s absurd speed. He felt exhaustion creep up on him, but a different kind than what came with lack of sleep and constant activity. It went deeper than that, a result of continually using his vision. Chongyun could only hope that Xiao was feeling the same. 

As they continued their duel, Chongyun kept note of what he could. Xiao, slowly but surely, was acting with less and less precision. He was starting to get angry, taking less careful opportunities to make solid attacks. Instead, he was just striking at any moment he wasn’t defending. It didn’t mean it wasn’t still effective. 

After taking a particularly brutal cross check to the back from Xiao’s weapon, Chongyun found himself down on the ice. Still, he held his claymore firmly in hand, turned, and held it up to prevent the oncoming attack. “You’re,” the exorcist started, pushing to force Xiao back a few steps. “Not acting like yourself, Xiao.” 

There was no time for Xiao to respond, not when Chongyun was pushing himself to his feet. He lunged forwards, and swung low in one swift movement. The blow hit Xiao in the calf, just above the top of his boot. The adeptus cried out in pain, near black blood quickly gushing out of the wound, staining the ground beneath his feet. His weapon vanished, his knees buckled, and he reached down to clutch above his injury. 

Chongyun cast his own weapon away in shock of what he’d just done. Without thinking, he reached out to Xiao, unsure of what to do, but determined to do something. Not even within a foot of him, Xiao teleported himself to the solid ground further away: a small, grassy island, connected to several others, surrounding where the fight had transpired thus far. Xiao’s body heaved with heavy breaths for a few long moments. It wasn’t long enough, however, before he got back to his feet, and summoned his weapon all over again. 

Even from a distance, Chongyun could see that nothing had been done to lessen the injury. It’s not like either of them had healing abilities, but at the very least, Chongyun could do something to stop himself from bleeding out. Xiao could do no such thing, and a spike of panic ran through the teen. 

He tried to think of something to do, but then Xiao was shouting, “Are you just going to stand there?” His voice was ragged and manic, causing Chongyun to wince. “You started this fight human! Now finish it!” 

Reflexively, Chongyun’s hand flexed, begging to have its weapon once again. Still, he hesitated, thinking over this whole mess. There was too much going on- there was always too much going on, and Chongyun felt like it was killing him sometimes -but he didn’t want to just give up. Not when Xiao was so willing to continue this fight. But Xiao was clearly injured, and badly, despite his minimal reaction. 

“To think, I trained such a coward,” Xiao went on, tone frantic and cruel. “Not even willing to follow through, just because he got one hit in. Your mercy will be your downfall, human! To think that you thought you could vanquish evil! It’s no wonder you were so desperate to be trained. So much so that you were willing to get yourself killed! Where did that go, huh? Where is the idiot who thought he could be more than a miserable failure-” 

Xiao’s words were cut off as Chongyun was suddenly in front of him, jumping up to slam his claymore down on the adeptus. Xiao dashed out of the way, and Chongyun’s blade hit the ground with a loud thud. He could feel an oncoming blow from behind before it made contact, and Chongyun gripped the handle of his blade firmly, and swung it up to hit Xiao’s out of the way. Weapon at his side, ready to act again, Chongyun let heavy breaths wrack his body. He could feel hot anger flowing through his veins, and he tried his best to combat it by allowing cryo energy to flow through him. It didn’t do much, but it was something. 

Chongyun tried to think of something, anything to say in protest to Xiao’s words. He tried to remind himself that it was hardly Xiao that he was talking to, that it was his Karma, or he was just angry, or again, anything . Anything at all that meant he didn’t mean what he said, but it had already sunk in. Chongyun was hurt, and he was so, so tired of getting hurt and just taking it. He wanted to do something about it this time, but apt words never came to mind. 

Instead, Chongyun just sent a barrage of spirit blades at Xiao, then surged forward to attack before the last one could even hit the ground. 

Xiao, for the first time in this fight, seemed to be caught truly off guard. He was shuffling back, with a poor, but still effective block. He didn’t get a moment of respite before Chongyun was striking again, and again, and again, forcing Xiao to move back. The exorcist didn’t allow him time to do anything other than defend himself, laying on hits as hard and fast as he could. Somewhere down the line, Chongyun felt the seal he put on his side falter, and blood was now dripping freely out of the wound. He paid it little attention in his rush. 

The two slowly made their way uphill on the small island. A lone sunsettia tree stood at the edge of a short cliff. It stood eerily still in the rain, which only seemed to pour harder as time went on. No sun was visible in the sky, however, Chongyun was aware of the way that evening was creeping up on them, as the already dim sky slowly darkened. 

He was now infusing cryo into his blade with every hit. He easily ignored the way his body wavered with the constant use of his vision. There was something in Chongyun that, irrationally, refused to stop. Later, he would realize that it was his yang energy flaring up in full. It was in no way apparent to the teen at the time, however, as he felt no difficulties remaining fully aware of what was going on. This was frankly, the least of his concerns. Not when Chongyun finally faltered to do something as simple as a small stone hidden in the grass. 

Chongyun started to trip, but not before he saw Xiao teleport away, and he felt wind at his back. Without any other warning, the back of his thigh and torso were slashed in rapid succession. His weapon vanished against his better judgment, leaving him vulnerable and open. Chongyun fell to his knees with a shout, the edges of his vision going dark with the pain. He willed himself to stay conscious, forcing his breaths to stay even despite the panic at being hurt. 

“Are you going to admit defeat now, human?” Xiao spat, with so little regard for his student that Chongyun wanted to scream. He very well could have, given how much pain he was in. He listened to Xiao’s footsteps, much less careful than before. They were no longer that of a predator hunting its prey, but that of a man who felt confident in the fact that he’d won, that he survived. On his way to deliver the final blow, forcing his opponent to stay down. But, if in his harsh words Xiao said one truth, it was that Chongyun was an idiot. So, the teen forced himself to stand, with a newly summoned blade planted into the ground. 

The creeping exhaustion doubled down the moment Chongyun stopped moving. He could feel every move that he made with disturbing clarity, for every action caused pain to spike in his leg and back. Chongyun did the one thing he could always do, and took a deep breath. 

He could feel Xiao’s presence behind him, with that awful feeling refusing to go away. “No,” Chongyun breathed out, more of a gasp than anything else. “I’m not going to stop. Not until you think I can protect myself. Not until you collapse, so I can call someone to finally help you. I learned from you that you should never stop, Xiao.” 

Chongyun, in an act almost as familiar as breathing, lifted his weapon into a stance, and turned to face Xiao. Xiao, without a second to spare, stepped forward to strike, his movements jerky and uncontrolled, a far cry from the Adeptus Chongyun had come to know. He countered  the move, and swung back, well aware of the fact that his own tactics were hardly as good as they could be. 

The fight lost any momentum it could have picked up again when Chongyun lost grip on his claymore with one of his hands. Xiao took the opportunity to knock the blade out of Chongyun’s grasp entirely. It flew off somewhere down the short cliff, into the shallow water below. Chongyun almost didn’t dodge Xiao’s next attack, wildly jumping out of the way into a dive roll. White, hot pain emerged from his back and side, but he didn’t have the time for that. Muttering the same old mantra, Chongyun haphazardly sent a spirit blade in Xiao’s direction as he tried to summon his blade back to him. It was, ultimately, no use. The weapon was too far, leaving Chongyun unarmed completely. 

Xiao came rushing in Chongyun’s direction, forcing him to roll out of the way again, despite the pain. He sent several more spirit blades in Xiao’s direction, one coming close enough to him that he was sent staggering back. 

With the small amount of time that provided the exorcist, Chongyun wracked his brain for what to do. There were only so many times he could cast down spirit blades, and with the exhaustion he was feeling, that number seemed to get increasingly lower. He had no weapon, no way out, and there was no chance that Xiao was going to back down any time soon. A horrible pit opened in Chongyun’s stomach as hopelessness flooded his mind. Then, Chongyun saw it, a stupid, shining glimmer of hope in this horrible situation: a tree branch. 

It was more of a stick, really. Long and thin, laying in the grass, close enough for Chongyun to take into his hands. He would take whatever he could get, given the situation. The back felt like an old acquaintance in his hands, a hushed, ’hello,’ given more as a courtesy than anything else. Chongyun had never felt more happy to see such a thing. 

He closed his eyes, then, allowing cryo to flow from his vision into the tips of his fingers, but not any further. “If that’s what you’ve taken away from your training, then you haven’t learned anything at all,” Xiao’s voice spoke, distorted, wrong, and rapidly approaching. Chongyun tried to ignore it, focusing instead on an act that he had practiced over and over again, almost like a ritual for a whole month that could have been a lifetime ago. It didn’t matter, really. Chongyun continued to channel what energy he still could from his vision into his hands. 

Chongyun almost could have laughed at the novelty of it all. How ridiculous his training had seemed at the start, it still felt silly now. Who could have guessed that it would lead here, to this moment? Every aspect of Chongyun’s life had changed, but the daunting task of fighting some monsters with a tree branch, somehow, was what it came back to. Chongyun took a deep breath. 

A gust of wind suddenly came from right in front of him, and Chongyun let the cryo energy surge out of his hands into the stick. He opened his eyes, only to be met with the sight of Xiao’s mask, and his jade spear pushing against an, albeit janky, fully formed polearm. Light blue ice emerged from both ends of the stick in Chongyun’s hand to construct the weapon. The exorcist couldn’t help the surprised gasp that escaped his lungs. He really wanted to laugh now, or maybe that was just the blood loss talking. 

“You really think that’s enough to win?” Xiao asked, cruel as he could be. “You are stupider than I thought.” 

Chongyun pushed back and tried to hit something resembling a proper stance. “Might as well try,” was all he managed to say before stabbing the spear forwards. It was easily countered by Xiao, anger radiating off of him. 

He dashed to the side of Chongyun, and slashed at the exorcist. Chongyun lifted his weapon in an attempt to block. It did something, because he didn’t get hit, at the very least. Another blow was delivered by Xiao, and the teen backed up to avoid this one. Then, he spun around and slashed at the adeptus, followed by another aborted stabbing motion. Xiao did not avoid this one as easily. He attempted to put all his weight on his injured leg, which did nothing but cause him to falter.

Chongyun slashed again, but Xiao jumped out of the way, rather than dashing or teleporting. Finally a sign that exhaustion was weighing on him as much as his wild mania. Xiao rolled, and came out of it, only to stab at Chongyun. Finally finding his footing with the odd weapon in his hands, Chongyun countered the strike. 

And so, back to exchanging blows the two went. This time, both parties were sloppy and exhausted, but they still refused to back down. The back and forth could have lasted an hour, or just a few seconds. Chongyun was hardly concerned with time. He had to put his full attention into fighting if he wanted to stand a chance. If he wanted to survive, his mind unhelpfully supplied. For, even after everything, Chongyun still did not think Xiao would kill him. Not if he could help it. It was the fact that Xiao might not be able to help it that scarred Chongyun. 

But, as always and with stubborn determination, Chongyun fought on. He parried and blocked blow after blow, and struck back with everything he had. Exhaustion be damned, he was determined to keep going, even as pain ran through his body with every breath. Rain kept pouring from the evening sky, thunder rumbled a bit too close for comfort, and Chongyun kept fighting. 

Xiao, for what it’s worth, was holding his own remarkably well, given his state. He fought like someone desperate to keep going, more than just his injuries and exhaustion slowing him down. That much was made clear to Chongyun, as even small hits were causing the Adeptus to pause. 

In their fighting, they ended up near the edge of the small cliff. The fall could hardly cause a scratch if you were prepared for it. That in mind, Chongyun did not want to be caught off guard. He blocked another slash from Xiao, and pushed forward, forcing him to take a few steps back. In the process, Xiao left himself wide open, and Chongyun took his chance. He slashed at Xiao’s chest diagonally. It left a cut that was hardly deep enough to cause any long term damage, especially for Xiao. It was, however, enough for that inky blood to seep from the wound, painfully visible against Xiao’s white shirt. 

The adeptus cast away his weapon entirely and clutched at his chest for a moment, collapsing in on himself. With that, Chongyun turned on his heel, and jumped down the short cliff into the shallow waters below. For good measure, Chongyun mustered his energy, and sent a lone spirit blade down on the cliff. It hit the earth with a ring, loud and damning, followed by eerie silence. 

For a long moment, Chongyun kept his makeshift weapon in hand, ready in his stance that he was still sure he was doing wrong. But nothing. Nothing for what felt like an eternity. Air continued to fill his lungs, as if nothing had changed, but Chongyun knew better. He knew that things would never be the same after this, and there was nothing he could do about it. Still, there was that underlying relief that came after a finished battle. 

Then Chongyun felt it. 

The aura of wrongness that Xiao has been carrying around suddenly felt ten times stronger, like when Xiao was holding onto Chongyun’s arm earlier that day in the hotel room. That paralyzing feeling came over the exorcist, and he felt his knees start to buckle under him with the weight of it. It left the teen disoriented and terrified, despite the determination and relief he had felt just moments ago. This was awful, life ruining, the worst feeling Chongyun had ever experienced. He would give anything to run until his legs gave out, and then to crawl until he went unconscious. But he couldn’t do that, he couldn’t do a single thing other than stand there as the world felt like it was ending around him. 

In the blink of an eye, Xiao- no, not Xiao. Something far, far worse wearing his skin and using his voice -jumped down from the cliff, and landed with a slam attack that sent Chongyun flying back. Spears of anemo and something else entirely sprung up from the ground upon Xiao’s impact, but somehow did not hit the exorcist. 

The knock back was, by some cruel miracle, enough to snap Chongyun out of whatever trance he had been in, although that suffocating feeling did not go away. It was pure adrenaline that allowed Chongyun to get up onto one knee, body half submerged in the water. He really looked at Xiao for the first time since this fight had begun. Chongyun wanted to forget the sight as soon as he saw it, but the image would forever be ingrained into his mind. Something out of his worst nightmares, like the ones you have when you’re a kid, and you can never seem to forget. 

The dark aura that Chongyun felt could be seen radiating from Xiao’s form, limping forward through the shallow water, like a monster that just can’t seem to die. Black blood leaked from his chest and leg, as well as several other small cuts littering his body, leaving him disheveled and even more inhuman looking. That wasn’t the worst of it, no. It was Xiao’s right arm. Leading up to his shoulder, that darkness painted his skin, leaving the markings there nearly invisible. The glove that was usually on that hand was torn, making way for monstrous claws that were still gripped firmly around Xiao’s spear. The vibrant green, a stark contrast from the dark surrounding the adeptus. 

“I’ve had enough of this,” Xiao spoke, voice even, far too even, but still loud enough to cut through the rain and thunder. It almost sounded like Xiao wasn’t the only one talking, like the evil creature wearing his skin was speaking under Xiao’s normal voice. 

Chongyun, in all his shock and fear, still managed to summon the polearm he had made for himself. All he could think to do is fight, instinct coming into play more than anything else. However, there was that voice in the back of Chongyun’s head that told him to fight to prove himself, and to save Xiao. Chongyun tried to let that be what pushed him forward. 

With one step in Xiao’s direction, the adeptus was suddenly right in front of him, and Chongyun parried the blow. His reflexes saving him, against all the odds. But as Xiao stuck forward with his blade, again and again, still messy and uncoordinated, Chongyun was finding it harder and harder to defend, his body hardly keeping up.  Xiao was moving far too fast, every movement followed by his shadow, glowing a dark green. With Xiao so close, Chongyun could tangibly feel the darkness radiating off of him. It was too much for anyone to handle for any amount of time. 

This, however, did not last long. Soon, the darkness dissipated, like it had never been there at all. The tainted skin on Xiao’s arm refused to go away, despite this, and that feeling hardly went away. It was, however, a little easier to breathe. Xiao seemed to feel the opposite, slashing at Chongyun, where the teen backed out of danger easily. The Adeptus’ movements were suddenly sluggish, but still desperate enough to be effective. 

Chongyun finally saw his opening, and went to strike, but then Xiao easily stopped it with his bare, clawed hands, weapon cast away. Xiao ripped the polearm from Chongyun’s hands, the ice formed on it vanished in an instant, leaving the adeptus with just a stick in his hands. He tossed it to the side without a second thought. “I’m finishing this now, human. You’ve been fighting a losing battle for too long. You pathetic waste of-” 

With the reality that came with being truly disarmed this time, Chongyun did the only thing he could think of: he punched Xiao in the face, cutting off his words. 

That, somehow, was enough to make Xiao’s mask simply vanish from his face, leaving Chongyun to truly look him in the eye. There were veins going up Xiao’s neck, going as far as his jaw, a deep black against his pale skin. He looked completely and utterly exhausted, the bags under his eyes painfully visible, dark circles. His hair was a mess from the rain, and then there was his eyes. They were still without their usual glow, but for a second, so short that Chongyun could have made it up, he swore he saw them soften for a second when he looked at his student. The look was gone too soon to tell, replaced with something dead and dark that sent a chill up Chongyun’s spine. 

“You fucker,” Xiao snarled. “You no good piece of shit-” he punched Chongyun right back, square in the jaw. It left Chongyun dizzy for just a moment too long. “Why did I ever even give you a chance?” He punched Chongyun in the stomach this time, and the teen doubled over. 

Xiao went in for another hit, but Chongyun ducked out of the way and got Xiao in the ribs with a kick. “I don’t know, Xiao, why did you?” Chongyun said, words coming out close to a sob. He was just so tired, and hurt, and he just wanted this fight to end. He punched Xiao in the face again, feeling his knuckles split open again. 

Xiao managed to parry Chongyun’s next attempt at a hit, and pulled him into a shoulder throw from there. Chongyun’s body hit the water with a loud splash. “Because you’re just like me, and I thought I could fix that!” Xiao answered, and Chongyun could barely make out the words as he got his head above water once again. From where Xiao was looming over him, Chongyun managed a knee to his body. Xiao didn’t have enough of a reaction for the exorcist to get the upper hand. 

Instead, Xiao gripped Chongyun by the collar and yelled in his face, words that sounded far too much like himself. “I thought I could make you good enough by training everything I saw of myself in you out, but no!” Xiao used his free hand to punch Chongyun again. “You had to make all the same mistakes! You had to be just as reckless, and pathetic, and weak! You are never going to be good enough for anything Chongyun, never forget that! Never forget that even an Adeptus couldn’t make you good enough!” Xiao let go of Chongyun and stood up. 

That left the exorcist’s head to fall back into the water for a moment too long. Disoriented from the hits to the head, he breathed in water, feeling it burn his lungs. That surged the teen to force himself up, body screaming in protest, begging for him to just give up. Instead of that, he coughed until his throat burned, forcing air back into his poor lungs. 

Just as Chongyun got his bearings, he felt the tip of something sharp against his throat. 

Xiao was standing above him, looking like he was hardly conscious himself. Still, he pressed the tip of his polearm forward, causing Chongyun to tense up in fear. 

Never had he ever been truly afraid of Xiao, not in a way that counted. That was until now, with the claws of a monster, and those cold, lightless eyes, Chongyun was afraid. He could see it, in Xiao’s eyes, the will to kill his student, right then and there. His hands were shaking from how hard they were clenched around the handle of his weapon. At any moment, they could press forward another inch, and Chongyun would meet his end. He felt himself start to hyperventilate, faced with once kind eyes that were now primed to kill.

Thunder boomed in the background, further away than before. Then, as if breaking out of a trance, light flashed in Xiao’s eyes for a wonderful, hopeful moment, and he pulled his blade back, to plant the blunt end up into the ground. 

Xiao blinked, and the light was gone. 

“You were hardly even worthy enough to be my apprentice in the first place. Leave, now, and pray that fate will be as kind as I am for letting you live.” 

And so, Chongyun did. He scrambled to his feet, and sprinted off in the first direction he looked. He dared not look back, not when his vision filled with tears, and his lungs refused to let in air. Not when blood was pumping in Chongyun’s ears so loudly that he couldn't hear the rain, or the thunder, let alone the sound of a body falling to the ground, the desperate cries for help, or the sweet song that was carried on the wind.

Chapter Text

Chongyun was running as fast as he could, even with the agonizing pain that came from the cut on his thigh with each stride. The heavy, panicked breaths that heaved through his body caused the gashes in his side and back to burn. He felt disoriented, bordering on dizzy, causing him to trip over his feet and stumble with what felt like every other step. Rain was still falling from the sky, unrelenting and so, so cold. It was getting dark, and Chongyun could hardly make out the path in front of him. Still, he ran. He did not stop, and he did not look back, because he had no other choice. 

For all Chongyun knew, he could be dying. Maybe he was already dead. Maybe he’d been dead for a long, long time, and was just now realizing it. Maybe he didn’t fucking care. 

Because the way that he could not focus, or think, or breathe was enough to drive anyone mad. Chongyun felt tears in his eyes, but it could have just been the rain, still pelting down, making each step harder than the last. The ground was slippery, and it felt like the water was seeping into his bones. And water always reminded him of Xingqiu, and the way he was always around. The way that he was a part of Chongyun, deep in his soul, buried beneath even his pure yang spirit. But then they fought, and it was over, and Chongyun was never going to have that part of himself back, and he couldn’t be thinking about that right now. He needed to focus on running. 

Chongyun was shaking, but he did not know if it was the cold, or his own fear, bleeding out of his skin for the world to see. He didn’t want to seem vulnerable, because people only used fear to exploit. Like all the times Chongyun was forced to run into a corner and hide because of his mom, and her cruel words and cold eyes. Because if he was not afraid, and he didn’t listen, he would be hurt. Over and over again for years and all he wanted was for her to see that he was trying. Always fucking trying, but never hard enough. Chongyun wanted to scream, but he had no air to spare if he wanted to keep running.

Then there was a gust of wind that made Chongyun flinch and stumble, but he stayed on his feet and he kept running. Because if there was wind nearby, Xiao was nearby, and in order to prove himself to the adeptus he just needed to keep going. Rest was a weakness that an Adeptus would not understand, let alone accept.  And Xiao told him to leave, so Chongyun left. But not just because Xiao told him to, but because he was scared. He was so fucking scared and he didn’t know what else to do other than to keep going. Keep going until he could outrun all of his flaws, and all of his fear. Run until even Xiao couldn’t catch up to him. 

The cold air burned Chongyun’s lungs. He failed to recall a time where cold was really able to burn before. It was always the fire in his own soul that he was trying to put out. It was Chongyun’s biggest enemy, and he could never make things cold enough to put out that flame. To smother it as it struggled just to stay alive. No, Chongyun found that, even with his vision, he could never make himself cold enough. Now, all too suddenly, Chongyun realized that the cold could hurt just as much as any flame. Maybe even more. But Chongyun knew what it was to hurt, and he knew how to ignore it. So, he kept running. 

Chongyun didn’t have any destination in mind. For all he knew, he could be miles away from Dihua Marsh, or maybe if he turned back, he’d still be able to see the Wangshu Inn towering on the horizon. Once a comfort, now a beacon of every mistake he’d ever made. He didn’t care to find out if it was still there. He could hardly make sense of his own thoughts, in a way far worse than if he'd lost control of his Yang energy. The words panic attack rang in the back of his mind. You’re having a panic attack, said the rational part of his brain, that was somehow, despite everything, still functional. It was insistent, but Chongyun did not have the capacity to do anything about that at the moment. 

He needed to breathe. That’s all he ever had to do, all he was ever able to do. Just in and out and hope for the best. It was the only thing he truly taught himself how to do. To make the air in his lungs his own. It could ground him, and keep him alive. It could give him something to hold onto. That’s all Chongyun could live for sometimes. The next breath of air, but right now, he couldn’t get fucking anything. 

Gasp after gasp and step after step he ran, and he burned, and he shook, and he kept going. When he couldn’t breathe, that’s the only other thing he could do. Once it was to become stronger, now it was just a means to stay alive. 

He needed to keep running, he needed to survive, and for Archon's sake, he needed to calm down. 

Chongyun blinked, and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground, still being pelted by the cold rain. He doesn’t recall tripping or falling over. And that… that probably wasn’t good. He couldn’t have been out for more than a few seconds, because he was jolted back into full consciousness by agonizing pain from his various injuries. He rolled from his injured side onto his back, but that didn’t do him any favors. The teen couldn’t help but yell out in pain, but he gasped half way through, and it came out as more of a sob. 

With the strength he could muster, Chongyun pushed himself to sit up, and he immediately felt dizzy. His head throbbed, probably a result of all the times he’d been punched in the face by Xiao. And Xiao was- No. Chongyun stopped that train on through immediately. He still didn’t have a handle on his breathing, and that was not going to help at all. He just- he didn’t know what to do. 

“Fuck,” Chongyun breathed out between gasps, clutching his chest like he could console his heart beat to slow down. He squeezed his eyes shut and just tried to focus on anything other than his panic or the pain he was in. “Fuck, okay. Get it together Chongyun. Just… Just get up. Okay.” He took a second to let his own instructions to sink in. All he had to do was stand up. That was easy. He’d done so much harder time and time again. All Chongyun had to do was get his feet under him, and stand. He repeated the instructions in his head until they didn't seem impossible to follow. He managed one, shaky breath, and opened his eyes. 

Chongyun couldn’t help but cringe at the red staining his white clothes. He’d long gotten used to seeing his own blood, but even by his own standards, he was in rough shape. The color fought just to be seen as the rain tried desperately to wash it away. Chongyun honestly didn’t care for either’s efforts at the moment.  

By some miracle from the Archons, or maybe just sheer force of will, Chongyun stood. He almost doubled over from the pain in his leg, and if that didn’t stop him, the dizziness sure could. Chongyun closed his eyes and forced his breathing to be something pretending to be even. He was too fucking tired for all of this. 

Once he was sure he wasn’t going to fall over or pass out again, Chongyun took in his surroundings. He was somewhere closer to the base of Dragon Spine now, but still well within Liyue’s border. That’s about all he could discern in the heavy rainfall. And that was- That was fine. This was fine. Chongyun just had to keep telling himself that. 

He honestly didn’t care what his location was, because he didn’t know where he was trying to go. That was another thing Chongyun needed to worry about. The top of his list of things to worry about, however, was the fact that he was still bleeding. 

He tried to channel power from his vision into his hands to temporarily seal the wounds, but Chongyun was exhausted in a way that nothing but time could mend. He should have thought to use his vision less during his fight with Xiao, but the teen had an awful feeling that if he’d done that, he would be dead. The prospect made Chongyun feel less than what he’d normally be okay with. Regardless, with all the might he could muster in his disheveled state, Chongyun pulled the cryo energy from his vision. Both his body and the object were fighting it, but if Chongyun was anything, he was stubborn. 

He saw black spots at the edges of his vision, but he paid that no mind. Somehow, Chongyun was able to form a thin layer of cryo over the cut on his side. He almost flinched away from the cold, but he forced himself to stay still in order to stay alive. The ice wouldn’t hold for long, not if he started to panic again. But it was something. 

The rest of Chongyun’s injuries would have to wait as he fought to remain upright. He needed to find shelter, at least until the rain stopped. Then he could rest, maybe cobble together some bandages for the rest of his body, and figure out where he would go or what he could do about all of this. It was hardly a plan, but it was the best Chongyun could come up with panic and pain still clouding his judgment. There was only so much a boy could do. 

Chongyun resigned himself to trudge forward in the same direction he had been running. Each step was staggered and wobbly, and each breath was forced and shaky, but Chongyun continued forward, just like he always did. He wasn’t sure how much longer he would even be able to do that. 

There was a pit of dread pooling in Chongyun’s gut. His feeling of wrongness, different from the one Xiao had awoken during their fight. It was the inevitable reality of the situation that started to set in. On top of that, Chongyun couldn’t help but feel like something else was still on the horizon, there was still something that was going to happen. It was enough to keep Chongyun on edge enough to keep walking forward, step after step. He was afraid of what would happen if he let himself pass out again. 

The sky, slowly but surely, began to darken. It made Chongyun’s path less and less clear. The faint rumble of thunder was something to focus on to keep his thoughts from racing again. With desperate eyes, he scoured the sides of the path for a spot to stop and rest. However ,salvation was almost as stubborn as Chongyun, and refused to peek out from the darkness. Which was fine. This was still fine. Chongyun could make himself be fine if he had to. 

With every foot of forward progress he made, Chongyun felt his eyelids grow heavier, but that was okay. There were ruins and camps all over Liyue. Eventually something would turn up, and as luck would have it, something did. 

Through the darkness, a small lantern light shone weakly on the path ahead. It beckoned Chongyun forward. With newfound strength, he picked up the pace and called out, “Hello? Is someone there? I need… I-” Chongyun couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence; he didn’t have to. The light grew closer, and several silhouettes appeared in the rain. “Archons, thank fuck,” he sighed out, relieved. “Can one of you tell me where I am? Or where some shelter may be, I-” 

“Well would you look at this. Boys!” called out a voice colder than the rain that had made Chongyun numb a while ago. It made him stop in his tracks. “Looks like our work isn’t quite done for the night.” 

Several other voices grumbled from ahead. Then, one figure stepped forward and became clear in Chongyun’s view: a treasure hoarder. If he wasn’t frozen before, he was now. 

“Hey kid, what are you doing all the way out here, huh? People say it’s dangerous,” even with most of his face covered, Chongyun could see the smirk in his eyes. “Maybe we could help you out, if you’d be willing to hand over that vision of yours.” 

Chongyun blinked as the words set in, “No, um-” 

“We can’t pick a fight with a vision user, dumbass,” a treasure hoarder stepped forward beside the other. He was shorter than him, but still stood taller than Chongyun. “Do you remember the last time we tried that? We were lucky to get out with our lives.” 

The taller man scoffed, and gestured in Chongyun’s direction. “Look at this kid, he’s barely standing. He’ll give us what we want if he knows what’s good for him,” the treasure hoarder glared at Chongyun. “Won’t you, kid?” 

“Boys, boys, you gotta think big picture,” the first treasure hoarder who spoke stepped between the two and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “His parents must be worried sick about their little boy, lost out on the outskirts of Liyue at night,” the words made Chongyun cringe. He still hadn’t made any move to get away. “I’m sure they’d be willing to pay a hefty sum of mora for his safe return home, don’tcha think?” 

This was the absolute furthest thing from what Chongyun wanted, seconded only to his actual parents appearing out of the darkness as well. Given the day Chongyun was having, he wouldn’t even be surprised. 

He could feel his heart rate picking up again as that dread from before multiplied tenfold. The thunder and puttering in the rain was no longer enough to distract him from the panic that set in. It settled in his stomach, lungs and bones, almost unbearable. Even through the cold, he could feel a burning fear deep in his chest. Chongyun was fighting with himself to stay conscious and hold it together. Now it was becoming apparent that he might have to fight just to stay alive.

As the treasure hoarders talked amongst themselves, Chongyun started to take careful steps backwards. If he could just put enough distance between himself and them, he could get the head start he needed to run off. He was in no condition to fight. Especially paired with the realization that he didn’t have his claymore with him. He felt the itch to summon it, but there was nothing to summon. He had nothing, and no one, and he had to get out of this mess somehow. 

He tried to keep his breathing even, but with his fear, the best he could manage were choked off gasps. If they could just let their own smugness distract them for a little longer. 

After several, hopeful moments passed while Chongyun slowly backed away, the taller treasure hoarder looked back at him. Eyes cruel and wicked.  Just like that, as soon as it started, any hope was mercilessly shattered. Chongyun should have known better than to hope at that point. “Where do you think you’re going?” The treasure hoarder called, voice sardonic. 

In one foolish, last ditch effort to get away, Chongyun turned on his heel and started to run. His entire body protested, but he pushed forward anyway. 

He hardly made it a foot before a hand grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and a knife was plunged into his stomach. 

Carelessly, the blade was removed, and Chongyun was pushed to the ground. He didn’t even have it in him to cry out of flinch, even as agony became the only thing he knew. Desperately, he clutched the wound. The knife had pushed through the scar tissue from where the Geovishap had struck him all that time ago. The numb he associated with that patch of skin was now the furthest thing from it. 

Distantly, Chongyun heard the voices of the treasure hoarders, but they were hardly distinguishable over the rapid heart beat in Chongyun’s ears. The only thing he could focus on was the single, unrelenting thought, I don’t want to die. 

It became the only mantra that would ever really matter to the exorcist as the moments became fleeting. Consciousness was rapidly slipping through his grasp, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Strangled, and hardly aware that he was even making a sound, Chongyun cried out. One last call to anyone who would bother to listen. 

Chongyun felt a faint shift in the wind before everything went black. 

“Venti! Venti! I… Ven- Barbatos! Help! Please!” 

Xiao tried calling out the name over and over again, ragged and broken. He didn’t know what else he could do. Xiao didn’t think he had any other choice. 

“I need… I need that song! Venti!” 

The second Chongyun had picked up running, the Adeptus had let himself collapse.  Agony, the kind only feasible in nightmares, coursing through his body with no end in sight. He could hardly move, but he forced his shaking limbs to drag him from the shallow water to the shore. 

“Barbatos! I… I need you!” 

His thoughts were racing, screams from countless lives lost echoing in his head, but he couldn’t discern a single one of them. Not when he had to put every ounce of what consciousness he had left into fighting off the karmic debt that threatened to consume him whole. He’d been fighting it for so long, it should have been easy. But Xiao couldn’t control it anymore. He doesn’t know what changed. 

“I-I can’t… Venti!” 

Coming up on dry land, Xiao’s hand slipped out from under him, and he screamed. Even the short fall from where he was crawling to the ground was enough to send another wave of pain through his body. 

“Please!” 

A horrible, horrible sense of deja vu came over the adeptus. He’d been in this position before. Facing the same fate as the other Yakshas, hoping, wishing, and praying for the pain to stop. He knew the easiest way to do that was to stop fighting his karmic debt. He could let himself get lost in the bliss of senseless violence. He could rest as the evil took over, and Xiao was so, so very tired. 

“You- you… Where are you?” 

But just like he was back then, Xiao was stubborn. Stubborn enough not to let it take over. Stubborn enough to find dry land. Stubborn enough to keep himself from hurting people. Stubborn enough to stay alive, because even for the relief that giving in would bring, it would ultimately kill him. Xiao couldn’t let that happen. It was never supposed to end like this, and it wouldn’t. Not if he had anything to say about it. 

“Venti! Please!” 

Then, a sweet song carried on the wind, clear over the chaos in his mind. It only took a few notes before relief flooded through Xiao’s body. He completely collapsed as, for a brief, blissful moment, it felt like all the burdens he had to carry were lifted off into the wind. He took in a deep breath, still shaky, but the humid air was welcome in his lungs. Xiao could cry with relief, he honestly might have already started, he couldn’t tell. He was having a hard time focusing on anything other than relief. 

 Light footsteps came towards Xiao with haste. “Xiao,” a familiar voice called. The next thing the adeptus knew, someone knelt beside him, and he was being scooped up to lay partially in their lap. Xiao blinked a few times up at the figure, willing his eyes to focus. “Oh thank Barbatos you’re alive.” 

“You are Barbatos,” Xiao murmured. Blue-green eyes looked at him, carefully scanning for a moment, before Venti pulled Xiao in for a hug. The bard laughed out something close to a sob into Xiao’s shoulder. 

“You scared me, it hasn’t been that bad since- since…” Since the last time this happened, all those years ago. When Xiao was so overcome by his karmic debt that he was seconds away from losing himself all together. Venti had saved him then, and the two had grown much closer since then. They both knew there was a possibility of Venti needing to use that magic song. There was also the possibility that it wasn’t going to work. “I’m just happy you’re okay. I’m sorry it took me so long to show up. I didn’t even realize you were calling at first. The people of Mondsatdt, they’re prayers are so loud, it’s almost impossible to make any of them out. I dropped everything as soon as I realized. I-” 

“It’s okay, Venti,” Xiao forced his voice to be steady. It was a futile attempt. “I’m fine now.” 

For a long moment, Venti continued to hold onto Xiao like if he let go, Xiao would fall apart. The adeptus was silently thankful, allowing himself to indulge in the comfort for once in his life. Rain continued to fall around them, making faint splashes in the water nearby. The only other sound was each of their breathing. 

Eventually, loosened his grip and helped Xiao to sit up next to him. Despite the bard’s efforts, there was still a deep ache in his bones, making it hard to stay upright. 

Venti looked directly at the adeptus with all the seriousness in the world. He then asked, “Xiao, what happened?” 

Like a punch to the face, the events from earlier came flooding back to Xiao’s mind. Dropping Chongyun off at Mt. Mingyuan, tired and near defenseless because he couldn’t be bothered to actually train his student. He was too busy defending the rest of Liyue, and trying to keep himself together, but that was hardly an excuse. Chongyun didn’t deserve to be left alone like that. Then that morning, finding out that the only reason he wasn’t passed out in the mountains somewhere was because Hu Tao just so happened to be in the area. If she hadn’t been there- 

“Venti I… ” Xiao’s eyes were wide as he looked around frantically. “I got him hurt. It was all my fault for leaving him, and then-” 

No, he couldn’t think about that. But then Xiao thought about how Chongyun resorted to hand to hand combat for some fucking reason. Xiao was so worried, and so angry that he had put his student in such a situation. He was hardly keeping it together then, but then it got worse, somehow. Xiao almost lost it right then and there in that hotel room. And, archons, all the things he said. 

“I didn’t mean it. Fuck I- I didn’t mean to make him upset.” Xiao said, running a hand through his soaked bangs. His other hand was tightening into a fist at his side. “He’s not incompetent, I was just angry and hardly in control. I hardly even knew what I was saying, but that’s not an excuse. None of it is an excuse because-” 

Hu Tao and Chongyun tried to help him before things got out of hand. Xiao wouldn’t listen. If only he weren’t so stubborn. If only he’d tried harder to keep his burdens away from people. If only he did more to keep himself isolated from humans, then he never would have gotten into this mess. Not only did he get Chongyun hurt, Xiao hurt him himself, and he scared him. 

Xiao’s heart rate was picking up in his chest. “I should have listened to them. But we got into an argument and-” 

They fought, and Xiao didn’t hold back. That’s what Chongyun wanted, but Xiao should have never agreed because he was a fucking adeptus and Chongyun was just a teenager. He wasn’t Xiao’s enemy, but he’d acted like he was All because of his karmic debt, and he couldn’t stop it, or control it, and Xiao- 

“Venti, I tried to kill him.” Xiao said, horrified at the truth of his own words. He was staring off towards the horizon where the sun fell lower and lower in the sky. Like he could find a different version of what happened there. “I almost killed him.” 

“You almost killed who, Xiao?” Venti said, placing a gentle hand on Xiao’s shoulder. The adeptus flinched away, scared to let anyone get close to him because of what he had just done. 

“Chongyun.” 

The confession hung heavy in the air, and Xiao heard Venti gasp, his hand still hovering over Xiao’s shoulder. The adeptus had a feeling that it was because he was frozen, not because he was still trying to offer him comfort. Xiao covered his mouth with a shaky hand, scared he was going to be sick as he replayed the fight in his head. The look of genuine, unmistakable fear in Chongyun’s eyes when Xiao held the tip of his spear at his throat appeared in Xiao’s head, taunting him. If Xiao hadn’t been able to stop himself, Chongyun’s blood would be on his hands, and it was the vision of that that broke the dam in Xiao’s mind. 

“I tried to kill him and I don’t know why I didn’t.” Xiao turned to face Venti once again, concern written all over the bard’s face. “I should have never let him be my apprentice. I never let people get too close, all I do is hurt them. I can’t, Venti- I can’t!” Xiao’s breaths started to come out in pained gasps again, this time entirely unrelated to his debt. 

He scrambled to his feet, despite his body’s protests, and backed away from Venti. “What would I have done if I killed him? What would you have done if I did? I’m a monster, Venti! All I ever do is hurt people!” 

Venti stood himself, and held up his hands in front of his chest. All slow, careful movements, like he was approaching a scared animal, not a violent killer. “Xiao, you need to calm down. Panicking isn’t going to do you any good right now. You didn’t kill anyone.” 

“But I wanted to! I wanted it more than anything in the world! He’s only alive because he ran! And now he’s injured, and alone, and it’s all my fault!” Xiao could feel his own fear growing in his chest. Even though Xiao didn’t kill Chongyun, he could already be dead, somewhere out there in the rain. His death would be Xiao’s fault, no matter what, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Venti took another step forward, and despite everything, Xiao didn’t step back. “We can find him, okay? Or if you want to keep away from Chongyun, I can find him. You just need to calm down first, and then we can make sure he stays safe.” 

“He only ran because I told him to, and- and…” Xiao felt like he was losing it all over again. “Why did I ever let him train under me? I knew this would happen, but I let it happen. I’m just a weapon, I could have never helped him.” Xiao buried his face in his hands and took a shaky breath before looking back up at the bard. “I wanted to hurt him, Venti!” 

“I know that, but it doesn’t matter,” Venti took yet another step, now only a few feet in front of Xiao. “You trained him because you care, Xiao. You aren’t a weapon.” Xiao wasn’t convinced, and he must have looked it, too. “Do you remember when you first told me about Chongyun, all those nights ago? You were so worried you would do wrong by him. Because you cared, and if you really were just a weapon, you wouldn’t have been worried about him then, and you wouldn’t be worried. You weren’t in control of yourself. It’s not your fault-”

“The problem is that I can’t control myself! That’s why I stay away from humans!” Xiao tried not to let Venti’s words sink in. He didn’t deserve comfort right now. 

“That’s because you don’t take care of yourself, Xiao,” Venti said, exasperated. “And you don’t accept help, and you push yourself over and over again until you break. So, let me help you right now, and we can figure this out, alright?” Venti was close enough to reach out his hand. All Xiao had to do was take it. 

Xiao wanted to do nothing more than run away. To put as much distance between himself, and any other life form as possible. He’d spent almost his entire, painfully long life, thinking he was just a tool be to used for destruction. It was only after Zhongli saved him that he was able to destroy and maim and kill for the sake of protecting people. It was like all of that work meant nothing when Xiao’s burden became too much to bear. He didn’t deserve any of the kindness he’d received. But, Venti had been around for longer than Xiao, and the archon had seen Xiao through his worst before, despite it all. If Xiao couldn’t save Chongyun, Venti could. All the adeptus had to do was accept his help. It was easier said than done. 

Carefully, Xiao reached out his left hand and took Venti’s. The world didn’t end, somehow. 

Venti took his chance to pull Xiao in for another hug. His breath was even and steady, like a gentle breeze on a summer day. “We’re going to figure this out Xiao, as long as you stop being an idiot for once.” 

Xiao sighed, and allowed himself to hold onto the bard, for just a moment. He willed himself to calm down, if only for the sake of finding Chongyun and making sure he, the bigger idiot of the two, didn’t do anything stupid. “I know Venti.” 

“Where would you be without me?” He asked, the usual playfulness back in his voice. It made Xiao calm down even more. It was something familiar to cling onto. 

“Probably dead,” Xiao deadpanned, hoping Venti would see the humor in it. He did, if the short chuckle was any indication of that. 

And just when things looked like they’d settled, when Xiao could put aside his worries, get his bearings, and make the right choice for what would be the first time in weeks, Xiao felt something. It was distant, and weak, but it was something, and Xiao put all of his focus into that. It was only then that he realized his mind was more clear than it had been in years, all thanks to that song Venti played. It made this tiny thing feel so much bigger than it was. 

Xiao let go of Venti, and narrowed his eyes, looking at nothing in particular. There was a presence, somewhere. A person, Xiao realized. 

“Xiao, what is it?” Venti asked, gently. 

“There’s something wrong,” Xiao admitted. The person needed something. They were in distress, but Xiao couldn’t pinpoint where, or why. It was like a prayer, but much weaker, and Venti didn’t seem to sense it at all. The bard remained silent all the same, aware of Xiao’s concentration on the call. There was a want, a plea, someone desperate just to stay alive.

Then, Xiao heard it. A voice, a painfully familiar one, called out Xiao’s name. It was more like a whisper, so faint and weak that Xiao wouldn’t have even been able to hear it if it weren’t for the newly found quiet in his mind. But it was still clear enough for Xiao to pinpoint, and despite his fear, and weakened state, Xiao did not hesitate to answer the cry for help. He had a horrible feeling that if he did wait, for even a moment, it would be too late. 

Instantly, Xiao was no longer in Dihua Marsh with Venti. Rather, he was on some old forgotten road near the base of Dragon Spine. He had his weapon drawn, standing protectively in front of a dying Chongyun. Xiao didn’t even need to look to know it was him. He was as familiar with the teen's presence as a person could be. Xiao was face to face with three reassuring hoarders, arguing amongst themselves. One of them holding a bloodied blade. Chongyun’s blood, he had stabbed Xiao’s apprentice. 

There were a million thoughts racing through Xiao’s mind, but they were all overshadowed by an undying urge to protect. The adeptus didn’t even need to think before he stepped towards the treasure hoarders, readying an attack. 

Chapter Text

Liyue Harbor was always beautiful at night. Xiao had thought as much for a long time. Almost as long as he could remember. He couldn’t even place a guess on how many nights he had spent, sat at a distance, silent observing the city. It had this orange, almost red glow. It reminded him of a different night, all those years ago, when he’d been saved by Morax, his life given back to him. To have a new name and an assurance of safety, it was the best thing to ever happen to him. And yet, even with that memory in mind, a constant form of comfort, Xiao couldn't put his mind at ease. 

What he tried to focus on was how different, but no less beautiful, Liyue looked from the inside. But maybe that was just another thing keeping him on edge. To be so close to the people he was so sure he was only able to hurt- Frankly, it was terrifying. 

But, what was more terrifying was the thought of being too far from Chongyun to save him. 

So Xiao made a compromise with himself, to sit dutifully behind the Bubu Pharmacy, constantly keeping his ears open for the sound of his own name. Even an inkling that his apprentice was in danger again. Venti had said Xiao would drive himself mad like this. The Adeptus didn’t really care. 

Where he sat upon a stone bench, Xiao rested his left elbow on his knee and buried his face in his other hand. He hardly noticed the way that his right leg was bouncing, a constant fidget that was doing nothing to keep him sane. What he did notice were familiar footsteps approaching. Mischievous, almost bouncy, and not something that he had to worry about. 

“So,” Hu Tao said, plopping herself down at Xiao’s right side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw how she was eying his arm. “That’s new.” 

“A side effect of my recent, “karmic debt flare up,”” Xiao quoted Baizu. “In short, Venti didn’t get there fast enough to stop it from being permanent.” 

Hu Tao hummed, then leaned in to examine the markings on Xiao’s arm. The once green pattern stained black, with inky tendrils extending from them that extended up his shoulder, only to peek out just above the collar of his shirt. “Aiya,” she breathed out, then moved away to sit back against the wall, almost a caricature of relaxation. “The black looks good. You should put me in touch with the artist who did it.” 

Xiao chuckled humorlessly. “If I can get in contact with the hundreds of evil deities I’ve defeated, I’ll be sure to send them your way.” It was nice, if trivial, to pretend that everything was fine for a moment. 

“Oh, please do. Maybe I can get some more customers for the Parlor while I’m at it,” she joked, giving Xiao a slight nudge with her elbow. It was hard from Xiao to fight off his flinch at the contact. It was more for Hu Tao’s sake than his own. The deep seeded urge to stay away, despite feeling lighter than he had in a long time. 

Still, the Adeptus tilted his head side to side, considering. He never really took his eyes away from the view of the harbor. “They certainly have a way with killing people.” 

Despite the blatant morbid truth to the statement, Hu Tao laughed loud and sharp. It soon devolved into a series of impish giggles. She always did have a better sense of humor than most humans. Once again, she touched Xiao. Just a light hand placed on his shoulder as she continued laughing. “Sometimes I forget how funny you are,” she managed through her hysterics. 

It was a little forced. That was obvious, even to someone as socially inept as Xiao. But he couldn’t help but appreciate the effort to lighten the mood. Again, it was trivial, but nice, in a way. 

Eventually, Hu Tao calmed down, and the two were left in a comfortable silence. Well, as comfortable as it could be with how tense Xiao still was. His leg hadn’t stopped bouncing. He took a deep breath of the ocean air despite himself. Something Chongyun always did before… well just about anything. It didn’t seem to have the same grounding effect on Xiao that it did on him. 

It was nearly impossible to stop the events from playing in his mind. Nearly killing Chongyun, then finding him half dead at the hands of some low lifes. After that was a bit of a violent blur in Xiao’s mind that ended with three more patients at Bubu Pharmacy. They were all alive, stable, and probably in better condition than Chongyun, who was well on his way to bleeding out by the time Xiao got him to safety. It was a miracle he was even alive. It would be easy to believe it was by the grace of the Archons. In a way it was. 

Regardless, nothing could deter from the sheer terror felt when Chongyun’s body went cold in his arms. 

As if reading his mind, Hu Tao asked, “How long has he been out for?” She gripped the edges of the bench and looked at him with careful eyes. 

Xiao closed his own, took another breath, then met Hu Tao’s gaze. “Two days. When Qiqi updated me-” he saw the way Hu Tao raised a brow at the mention of her, and promptly ignored it “-she said he was stable, but showed no signs of waking up anytime soon.” 

The director’s near unbreakable demeanor faltered for a moment. If Xiao didn’t know any better, he would have sworn that her eyes shone with unshed tears. But, she blinked, then looked away. She wasn’t focusing on anything at all. Xiao watched as her hands tightened on the edge of the bench in a white knuckle grip. “Well,” Hu Tao breathed out. “No sense sitting around here then.” 

Xiao’s leg stopped bouncing. He looked at her, serious, “I can’t just-” 

“I’m not saying we go all the way to Snezhnaya, Xiao,” Hu Tao said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Then where are you going?” 

The parlor director rolled her eyes. Then, in an exaggerated gesture, she swung her legs and hopped off her seat. “ We,” she sent Xiao a pointed look, offering a hand out to him, “Are going to go to the Parlor.” Xiao blinked at her. “Aiya, it’s like a ten minute walk away, and you can teleport.” 

Xiao glanced at the wall of the building he was sitting behind, and he tried not to think too much about the human inside. Horribly ambitious, and tragically young. More than that, Xiao tried not to think of all the ways he’d failed him. The pang of guilt in Xiao’s chest was worse than any pain he ever had, or ever would endure. Xiao was well aware of each and every one of his failures, and all the people he’d hurt because of them. Guilt was most everything he knew. And yet, here he was feeling like one hurt human was the end of the world. 

But, Hu Tao did have a point, and Xiao knew her well enough to know that she wouldn’t stop hovering her hand out in front of Xiao until he took it. And so, he did. 

“See, that wasn’t so- oh we’re…” Outside of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Hu Tao took a second to orient herself to the surroundings, what with the way she looked around. Xiao let go of her hand and stood back. The human huffed and shook her head. “Like I said, we’re less than a second away from Bubu Pharmacy. Now!” she clasped her hands together, then turned toward the door. 

As she fumbled with the keys, Xiao scanned the area. It was late enough that few people were around, but dark enough for something to be hiding behind every corner. He kept his ears and eyes open, even more so than usual.

“Ahem!” Hu Tao announced. Xiao turned to see her holding the door open. “After you, oh Adeptus Xiao.” She bowed in a gesture that managed to be disrespectful. 

“Save the flattery, mortal,” Xiao bit back with no real malice behind it. 

He entered the parlor with no more preamble, then took in the lobby. A desk littered with scrolls and papers sat across from the door, just like the last time Xiao was here, however long ago. Hu Tao, as she went about closing and locking the door said, “Oh wow! I’ve been upgraded from human to mortal. I’m honored!” 

“Mhm,” Xiao brushed off, suddenly alert to something. It wasn’t someone calling out, or a looming threat, but a presence. Plain and simple. 

Hu Tao started toward a door, and Xiao didn’t ask questions before he followed. “Remind me, do you like any tea?” She looked over her shoulder at him. 

“Tea is fine. Just not any of your food-

“I know, I know, don’t get started. You’re already worked up enough. Can’t have you getting upset about how much you hate our wicked mortal cuisine,” Hu Tao led Xiao down a small hallway. The presence got stronger and more familiar with each step. 

And then, Hu Tao opened a door to what Xiao knew to be a kitchen. There, at the table was Morax- or rather, Zhongli, idly sipping tea. He perked up at the figures in the doorway. “Oh Hu Tao, you’re back from your errand. I must say this tea is quite exquisite, thank you for sharing and…” He glanced past Hu Tao, right at Xiao. The Adeptus felt frozen in place. Even still, the former Archon's expression brightened. “Xiao, it’s good to see you,” he greeted warmly. 

Xiao blinked at him, suddenly far too aware of the corruption that painted his skin. It was no use hiding it, but Xiao felt the overwhelming urge to leave the room. Return to his refuge atop the Wangshu Inn, but that was much too far away, even if he could be back in the harbor in an instant. But if something happened- and it had been so long since he’d had the chance to speak with Zhongli, but-

Hu Tao gave Xiao a slight nudge forward, and a reassuring smile, “I’ll put another pot on, yeah? Mr. Zhongli can tell you all about how great the tea is.” And then she was off toward the stove. 

“Yes, I- He can,” And Xiao stepped further into the room himself. With a half aborted movement, he placed his left hand on his right arm, as if it would change anything. 

If he was tense before, Xiao was outright rigid now. He focused far too intently on the way Zhongli reacted, but he seemed content to sip on his tea as if nothing was amiss. So, Xiao awkwardly pulled out a chair, and sat. He took far too many moments to figure out what to do with his hands. At first, resting them on his lap, then on the table, then back on his lap, and then he finally settled on crossing his arms over his chest. He was stiff as a board, and even more alert than usual. Zhongli didn’t react to that either, so either he really had gone senile with age, or he was ignoring how much of a mess Xiao was at the moment. 

A selfish part of him hopped for the former, but he knew it had to be the ladder. 

“Hello, Zhongli,” Xiao said eventually. 

“It’s been far too long, hasn’t it?” the former Archon said with a kind smile. “I wasn’t aware you were in the harbor. Were you and Hu Tao meeting up?” 

Hu Tao didn’t give this a second glance. She was content to hum quietly while busying herself at the stove, much to Xiao’s dismay. “No, we just ran into each other, and she invited me in.” Xiao doesn’t know quite how Hu Tao found him, but he had the sinking suspicion that she’d been looking to visit Chongyun at Bubu Pharmacy. 

“Well, it’s good to see you,” Zhongli took another sip of his tea. 

“Yes,” Xiao wracked his brain for what to say, suddenly more out of his depth with conversation than usual. “How have you been?” He settled on. 

“He has a boyfriend,” Hu Tao chose then to chime in, because she was awful, and Xiao regrets becoming friends with her. And then, the words sunk in. 

He simply raised a brow at Zhongli, and he chuckled, gazing fondly at his cup. “Yes, I have found myself in a relationship. Perhaps you can meet him next time he’s in Liyue. He’s very nice, I think you would get along,” Hu Tao laughed, and Zhongli seemed to reconsider. “Well… Perhaps you wouldn’t be the best of friends, but you can still be acquainted, if you wish.” 

“Aiya, I’ll give up all my customers if he and Xiao don’t try killing each other right off the bat,” Hu Tao joked. She then approached the table, and set a cup down in front of Xiao, filled to the brim with steaming tea. She smiled at the Adeptus. “If you need me, just shout, yeah? I’ll be at my desk,” and she didn’t even give him the chance to protest before she was halfway out of the kitchen, then out the door. 

And so, without Hu Tao to fall back on, Xiao tried to take a breath. He unfolded his arms, then reached out to take his glass. There was an anxious twitch to his hands, not quite shaking, but close. He’d thought himself to be over such trivial emotions a long time ago, yet here he was. 

For some reason, he felt like he was back there on the day Zhongli saved him. Scared, alone, and so sure that he was going to have to go through hell all over again. Nothing could have prepared him for Zhongli’s kindness. And in that moment, nothing could have prepared Xiao to hear him say the words, “What happened?” 

The Adeptus clenched his hands around the cup, looking at its contents as if they held all the secrets to the universe. “It’s not your concern,” he tried. 

It didn’t work. “Is there a reason you didn’t tell me that your condition was getting worse?” He asked, far too earnest. 

Xiao bit back the swell of emotion that he felt. “Venti handled it. I’m fine now.” 

“Xiao,” it was stern, the way he said it. It made Xiao feel like a kid again. That was over two millennia ago. The memories were so foggy and distant, he was half sure he had made them up in some desperate attempt for comfort. 

And maybe that was what did it. What broke the damn Xiao was trying so hard to hold together, or maybe it wasn’t something else entirely. Whatever it was, it was enough for tears to well up in Xiao’s eyes, the stinging a distantly familiar feeling, but not one he’d indulged in in a very, very long time. 

As quick as he could, he brought up his right hand to cover his face as he closed his eyes and tried to will that feeling away. 

“Xiao?” Zhongli repeated. It still made Xiao feel like a kid, but for entirely different reasons. That hurt more, if he was being honest. 

He took a breath, “I fucked up,” and then another, “And I don’t know if I’ll be able to fix it this time.” 

“What happened?” Again, Zhongli repeated himself. 

There was something inside Xiao, yelling and screaming at him to leave. To send himself all the way to Snezhnaya just to get out of this. Just to avoid placing this on his once savior’s shoulders. This was Xiao’s mess, his mistake, his burden to carry on top of all the others. But Xiao decided then, and only then, that he could be selfish. He’d already come this far. And somewhere along the way, he realized that trying to take on everything on his own would only cause more pain for those he loved anyhow. 

So, Xiao slid his hand up his face, not so subtly wiping at his eyes. He rested his forehead against his palm and leaned his weight onto it. He took another breath, not feeling any better about this whole ordeal. “I got an apprentice,” he confessed, not looking Zhongli in the eye. 

Even in his peripherals, it was easy to see the sort of surprised recollection on Zhongli's face. “When?” He asked, simple and effective as ever. It was rare that Zhongli refrain from bouts of flowery language. And on top of that, Zhongli knew as well as Xiao, if not better, that time stopped being so important when you lived for thousands of years. It felt important, so Xiao mulled it over.

“A few months ago.” It might as well have been a lifetime. Maybe longer, but now Chongyun was sitting half dead in a hospital bed, and there was nothing Xiao could do to save him anymore. 

Zhongli hummed, then sipped his tea once again. “I see.” 

He was leaving an opening for Xiao to go on, that or he was still thinking something over. For fear of what would happen if he neglected to say anything at all, Xiao continued. “It was moronic, the way he came and found me at the Inn. A human- a young one at that, maybe sixteen, seventeen? And he, an exorcist, thought that I, of all people, could train him. He did everything I asked even when I didn’t expect him to. It was absurd, the lengths he’d go to, and the strength of his ambition. He was so sure that I could make a difference, he practically begged for my help.” 

“And what did you do?” 

“I helped him, obviously.” 

The small smile that reappeared on Zhongli’s face hurt like a quick, blunt punch to the gut. “And..?” He prompted simply, knowing Xiao almost better than he did himself. 

Xiao sighed, clenching his left hand into a fist where it now sat on his lap. “And I tried to keep my distance to keep him safe. To make it almost impossible and drive him away. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. Every single time, he came back. And he wasn’t taking care of himself, and I- I don’t know when, but eventually I felt like I needed to do more than train him. I needed to be there for him, and protect him.” 

And admitting it all aloud, Xiao realized Chongyun was fucked the moment he decided to step into Xiao’s life. The very moment that he agreed to train him, it was as good as a death sentence. And for Xiao? It was a stupid indulgent fantasy to think that he could take someone under his tired, broken wings and teach them to fly. But he tried, and he failed, and look where that got him.

The Adeptus closed his eyes once again, and tried to continue with a steady voice. It was all in vain, but that seemed to be a recurring theme with him. “As I got to know him more I learned that it wasn’t just for the sake of self-actualization that he sought out my guidance. He…” 

It was harder to say than Xiao would have imagined. Perhaps it was because he understood far too well. 

Xiao opened his eyes, and met Zhongli’s. “He was being abused,” and the way that something shifted in the former Archon’s demeanor was impossible to ignore. It was a sort of understanding in his own right. And that made Xiao feel some sort of way that he would never be able to describe. It was close to gratitude, but somehow closer to something much worse. “I’ll refrain from giving details for his sake. With Ganyu’s help I was able to ensure he was removed from the situation.” 

Xiao paused, recalling that day. How everything went entirely wrong, but that paled in comparison to its end. The rage that ran through Xiao's veins was pure, and hot, and dangerous. Having to watch as Chongun almost hurt himself because of his mother's actions, like it was all he had ever known to do. Xiao had never wanted to kill a single human being more in his entire life, but there were more important things than killing. That is something Xiao had learned a long time ago. 

“Before I learned this,” there was a tightness in the back of Xiao’s throat. He shifted his his seat, and rested his right hand down on the table. “I had doubts as to whether or not I was fit to be there for Chongyun in the way he needed. But afterwards? I feel I realized that I had to be what he needed. I had to do everything in my power to protect him-”

Xiao choked off the sob the best he could, but to little avail. 

In a gesture more kind than what Xiao would ever deserve, Zhongli reached across the small table. He placed a hand on the back of Xiao’s wrist. Underneath his glove, his hand was stained black, a permanent reminder of the debt that he carried. But it felt more like a manifestation of all those he’d hurt. All the blood on his hands, and there was a fresh stain there that- no matter if Chongyun survives or not -would always be there. But Zhongli didn’t know that yet. He did not know the full extent to which Xiao was nothing but a weapon, always wielded wrong. So, for just one more moment, Xiao indulged. 

The Adeptus took a steadying breath- still almost no help -and explained in strained words, “In my efforts to train my apprentice, I failed to realize that it would be too difficult to manage that, as well as my duties to Liyue. I neglected my worsening condition and… and- fuck I-” Xiao couldn’t stop the onslaught of tears that time. Still, he managed to choke out, “I nearly killed him, and now he’s lying half dead in Bubu Pharmacy and it’s all my fault.” 

Minutely, Zhongli’s hand tightened around Xiao’s wrist. Xiao clenched that hand into a fist while he brought up the other to wipe at his eyes. 

Zhongli’s quiet kindness was only interrupted by him saying, “Xiao, this is not your fault,” like it was a truth written into irminsul itself. And he left it to hang in the air. Something for Xiao to breathe in, like he had no choice but to believe it. But he would try with all his might to deny. And maybe there was something sacrilegious in that, to deny the word of an Archon, but what was one bad deed on top of so many others?

Xiao would not let himself say another word, terrified that he might lose the battle against his nature to believe all that the Archon had to say. 

“What condition is he in? Have you gotten any updates?” Zhongli went on. It was an out, because he knew Xiao better than he knew himself sometimes. 

Xiao pinched his brow, sniffled, then answered, “Stable. The worst of his injuries are being treated with relative success. It’s hard to say whether or not exposure to my karmic debt has affected him, or how that will impact his health. But he’s alive, only he’s been unconscious for two days and won’t be waking up soon,” Xiao rattled off the report he’d gotten. 

Slowly, he was getting a hold of himself. He’d already put enough on Zhongli’s plate.

The former Archon paused, considering. Without taking his hand away, he used his free one to take another sip of tea. “Do try it. It’s quite a wonderful blend, although Hu Tao has refused to tell me where she got it. It’s forced me to stop by on nights such as this. Which isn’t something I abhor as much as I once did. The tea makes it all worth it, I’d say,” he jabbered on. 

And so, not knowing what else he could do, Xiao finally took a sip of the tea. It was solidly mediocre by his standards, still palatable, but not worth the high praises Zhongli gave it. “It’s fine,” he admitted. 

Once again, Zhongli smiled, “And how are you?” 

The Adeptus grimaced, trying to hide it behind his cup. “I already said Venti handled it.” 

“And I owe him a bottle of wine for that, as much as that bard can be bothersome,” Zhongli was quick to respond. “But I did not mean that in regards to your condition.” 

“You mean how- Whatever,” Xiao considered his answer, drinking more of the mediocre mystery tea, “I’m fine,” is all he could come up with. 

Anyone could have easily seen through Xiao’s bullshit, and Zhongli was no exception. “After your distressing story, and tears, I find that rather hard to believe. You are something I often worry myself over, Xiao, and now is far from an exception. You need not worry about burdening me. It is always in by best interest to be there for you.” 

Xiao scoffed in the wake of that.“Then I’m pretty fucking awful.” More so than usual, really. From constantly feeling unpleasant, maybe even bad, to feeling like the world was on the brink of ending all over again. And then, because he might as well add insult to injury, Xiao added, “I’ve lost so much, and hurt so many, and I just don’t want to lose him too,” and maybe that was the most selfish thing Xiao had ever felt in his life. 

“Based on what you’ve told me, it seems your apprentice-” 

“-Chongyun.” 

Zhongli paused for just a moment, a long coming realization finally reaching him. “Yes, Chongyun. It seems he will survive. That is not something you should concern yourself with for the time being. Perhaps you should focus on what you are to do once he has recovered? You might find that to be a comfort.” 

Xiao was planning on cutting off all ties with Chongyun as soon as he was lucid enough to understand. He'd already done half the work to get there. It felt like the safest option. He could call in a favor from Shenhe, maybe have him continue to train with her and Cloud Retainer, so at least he’d have somewhere to go. And Chongyun would be happy there. It was quiet, easy to concentrate and grow. The kid already had experience with the Adepti. There was no doubt he'd be able to handle the new training. Not to mention, Cloud Retainer knew far more about teaching than Xiao ever did.  It was a wonder he had been able to think of anything in the time he had trained Chongyun. 

But, there was this nagging feeling in the back of Xiao’s mind. One that told him that Chongyun still needed him. It was an almost parental instinct that Xiao thought he would go his whole life without feeling. And worse, he felt he still needed Chongyun. And there he went, being selfish all over again. 

And, of course there was that inherent truth: Chongyun had called out Xiao’s name when he was in danger. Proof that he was still as stubborn as ever, or maybe just scared. 

All that in mind, Xiao settled on saying, “I believe it foolish to assume that he would be content to end his training, but after what happened…” he took another breath, closer to a sigh than anything else, “After what I did, I am unsure if he would want to continue his apprenticeship with me. I had plans to arrange another means of training for him that would ensure his safety.” 

“And if he does still want your help?” 

“Then I’ll help him, obviously.” 

Xiao wishes it weren’t the truth, but it was. 

Then Zhongli smiled at Xiao, something close to understanding in his eyes. “I know it easy for you to assume that the is the lingering evil left inside you has made you cruel and unkind. You’ve been made out to be a weapon far too many times, but you are a good person, Xiao. I’m sure Chongyun will see that, no matter what his future holds.” 

Xiao once again studied his tea, unsure if he could meet Zhongli’s eyes. There was a raw truth sitting on his tongue. “Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of.” 

“Regardless,” Zhongli mercifully moved on, “I would love to hear more about your student. I will admit, it was a shock to learn that you did take on an apprentice in the first place. I know you’ve helped to train Ganyu, but this seems like an entirely different endeavor.” 

And it was trivial, the small grin that tugged at the corner of his lips, but it was there anyhow. “That’s one way to put it.” 

The sun had risen by the time Xiao and Zhongli’s conversation finally trickled out, or maybe it was just because Zhongli had run out of tea. 

Either way, Zhongli stood and brushed imaginary crumbs off of his lap. “It was lovely to catch up with you Xiao, despite the extenuating circumstances. We should make an effort to speak more often, outside of crises. You can often find me at the parlor, so do keep me updated on Chongyun’s health. And, next time you’re at Bubu Pharmacy, ask about that medication for your condition,” a grimace met Zhongli’s eyes when he glanced at Xiao’s arm. “It would be quite the tragedy if things were to escalate again.” 

Xiao, despite not needing sleep, was exhausted, so he just nodded in lieu of a response. He pushed himself to stand, only to be abruptly pulled into a hug by Zhongli. 

“This is unnecessary,” he found himself huffing out in reaction. He was half tempted to push the former Archon away. 

“Yes, well,” Zhongli started, “Perhaps I have spent too much time living as a human, for I feel it is.” 

And so, Xiao felt his only option was to hug Zhongli back. He wouldn’t admit to finding comfort in this gesture he both felt above, and unworthy of. And if he squeezed his hands into the back of Zhongli’s coat, and buried his face into his chest, then that was for nobody but Xiao and Zhongli to know. 

However, Xiao didn’t let the gesture linger. He took another breath, then stood back from Zhongli, the former Archon easily letting go. 

“Thank you,” he said like it was a confession. “For everything, Zhongli.” 

“There’s no need,” He responded with a smile. “I am going to clean up in here. I have to help Hu Tao with funeral preparations soon, anyway.” 

“Right,” with a nod, Xiao turned on his heel and left the kitchen. He walked back down that small hallway, then through the door to the lobby, only to find Hu Tao hunched over her desk. “Did you sleep at all?” He asked, not failing to lighten his tone to something teasing.

“Sleep is only for the dead, Xiao. And it’s my job to ensure they get the best rest they can have,” she retorted with a smirk. She sat up and looked at Xiao. Then, with all the bullshit in the world, she added, “I wasn’t aware you and Mr. Zhongli were friends.” 

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Uh huh, and I’m sure you don’t know about any secret past that Zhongli might have that would make you want to force me to talk to him,” Xiao's voice was dripping with sarcasm. 

Hu Tao just shrugged, “It’s not my business to meddle in the affairs of the Adepti,” she perked up “Oh! And Xiao?” 

He raised a brow at her. “Yes?” 

“Do tell me as soon as Chongyun wakes up, or I will have no problems planning another funeral, yeah?” Her haunting orange eyes bore into Xiao’s own. He wasn’t entirely sure if she was joking.

Chapter Text

“Archons,” Ganyu breathed out. With the hand that wasn’t around her tea cup, she touched her knuckles to her lips, looking off somewhere in the distance. “And how long did you say he’s been unconscious?” 

“Five days now,” Xiao answered. With careful eyes, he watched people move around Heyu Tea House, many packing up to leave after a performance. The young woman on the stage was talking with another girl whose outfit was adorned with an unnecessary amount of spikes, in Xiao’s humble opinion. He glanced back toward Ganyu. “His natural constitution makes him more resilient to the impacts or exposure to karmic debt. There was no need for any sort of purification ritual. Baizu believes his being unconscious is just a result of the healing process, and prolonged exhaustion.” 

Xiao paused once again, replaying his last conversation with the healer in his head. He was doing everything in his power not to think about it too much. “It can be inferred that his constitution is the only reason he’s alive right now,” he rattled off mechanically. 

He couldn’t bring himself to see how Ganyu reacted to that, so he went back to watching the Opera singer, still immersed in conversation with that girl. She looked familiar, and Xiao was trying to figure out exactly from where. It was a convenient enough distraction. 

He still listened to Ganyu, who seem undeterred by his lack of eye contact. She took in a sharp breath, followed by a sigh. “Well… It’s good to hear that he’s almost recovered. Are there any signs that he’ll be waking up soon?” 

“He should be up any day now, but Baizu wants to keep him for at least 24 hours to monitor his condition after the fact. It’s more of a precaution, than anything else,” That, and Xiao needed to figure out what he was going to do with that kid when he was ready to make a decision. Cloud Retainer had already agreed to let Chongyun train with her and Shenhe should he choose to. Hu Tao not so subtly mentioned that she had a spare room that served only to collect dust. With all of Xiao’s connections, he could probably get him a job working for the Tianqian herself, with food and board and everything.

Chongyun would have options. Xiao was ready for all of them except one. 

He promptly pushed down that train of thought, especially when there was a phantom pain in the palm of his hand. 

Ganyu took a sip of her tea, also looking lost in thought. “Thank you for keeping me updated. This must be a lot for you to be dealing with.” 

Xiao huffed, indignant. “It’s no worse than anything I’ve dealt with before.” 

A new figure made their way up the steps to Heyu Tea House. A boy, dressed in high quality blue fabrics. He was followed by a girl with a bright grin, dressed in dark browns, reds, and golds. They joined the conversation with the opera singer. Xiao recognized them too. 

“Yes but…” Xiao didn’t miss the slight movement of Ganyu’s hand in his peripherals. Nothing came of it, so she just continued, “It’s always difficult to see loved ones get hurt.” 

Xiao didn’t glorify that with a response. He couldn’t, not if he wanted to keep it together. It was far easier to try and puzzle out where he knew these kids from. It had to have been in the Harbor or at the Inn, some time recently too. Maybe with Chongyun, or even Hu Tao? It had to be, Xiao reasoned. He wouldn't be paying attention to humans otherwise. He considered it for a moment longer, and that’s when it clicked. 

“Xiao?” He heard Ganyu ask gently, words laced with worry. 

Abruptly, he focused back on her. “Who are those people?” He asked, pointing over at the group. 

Ganyu blinked at him once, twice, then turned around awkwardly in her chair to look over at the group. “Well, the one who performed is Yun Jin, from the Yun-Han Opera Troupe-”

“No, the other ones,” Xiao cut her off. 

This time, Ganyu just raised a brow before giving the group another glance. She hummed, “The one talking to Yun Jin is Xinyan. She’s also a performer, if I’m not mistaken. The girl in gold is Xiangling, her father owns Wanmin Restaurant. And the boy is Xingqiu, second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild. They’re-” 

“Chongyun’s friends,” Xiao cut her off once again. Distantly, he recalled a conversation after dinner in Inazuma, and an argument after lunch at Xinyue Kiosk. Xiao could only hope his assumption wasn’t incorrect. 

With each passing second, Ganyu only looked more confused. She made a face, considering, then took another sip of tea to hide it. When she placed it back on the table with careful hands, she said, “Yes, I suppose they are. Quite the coincidence that they’re here. But back to what I was saying. If you need support in this, I will be here for you in whatever way I can.” 

Xiao looked between Ganyu and the group a few times as the words wormed their way into his mind. Eventually, he settled on the former. He let out a breath, “And I appreciate that, but you have other duties to attend to. My problems shouldn’t take priority. They’re not something anyone should be concerned over, if not for Chongyun’s sake.” 

For what it was worth, Ganyu was a very composed person. She handled almost every situation with diplomacy and grace that Xiao knew he would never be able to master. She could speak clearly, carefully, even in the wake of eighty plus hour work weeks with not a second of sleep to be seen. So, that made the stony, almost annoyed expression on her face that much more surprising. She leaned back, and said like it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Your kid almost died, Xiao.” 

And wow, that was a lot to take in. Xiao sat up, immediately on the defensive. “He’s not my kid,” he corrected sternly. 

“Then why did you have me put him legally under your protection after the incident with his parents?” She retorted quickly. 

Xiao crossed his arms. “He’s under Shenhe’s protection, too,” he said instead of giving a direct answer. 

“Because she demanded as much after she found out about the situation.” 

“And you’re not saying that Chongyun is her kid.” 

“Because Shenhe is his aunt.” Ganyu deadpanned. She took another sip of her tea, like she had somehow won this argument. 

“He’s seventeen,” Xiao added. 

“And you were over a thousand when Zhongli took you in.” She pointed out. 

Xiao blinked at her. “He didn’t- He’s not- Whatever, okay? Placing him under my immediate protection was the easiest way to take custody away from his parents. You know far more about the legal system of Liyue than me. It was your suggestion.” 

“I said, ‘someone else's,’” the half-adeptus corrected. “You immediately volunteered.” 

“That’s not…” Xiao trailed off as he noticed movement behind Ganyu. The group of Chongyun’s friends were starting to head for the exit, leaving Yun Jin to finish packing up. “One second.” It was perhaps with too little hesitation that Xiao stood up and went after them. 

“What? Hold on,” Ganyu turned to watch as he followed. He didn’t look back to see her face palm; he already knew that it happened. 

Xiao took about two steps before he realized that there was no point in chasing after them. He heard Ganyu sigh in relief just as he teleported to meet the group at the bottom of the stairs. 

“What the-” “Holy-” “Eek!” Three different voices exclaimed simultaneously. 

And it was standing there in front of these three teenagers whom he’d never properly met that Xiao realized that he hadn’t the slightest clue what to say. What could he say? Xiao was so far from adept when it came to social situations, but he knew he definitely could not say, ‘Hey, just so you know, I almost killed your maybe/maybe not former friend, Chongyun. Have a nice day.’ So, for a long awkward moment as the three got over their initial shock, Xiao stood there, gazing ahead with serious eyes. He shifted to cross his arms, then gave the area a quick once over. 

It was by some grace of the Archons that the boy- Xingqiu -spoke first. “Well isn’t this a surprise? Are you the Conqueror of Demons?” He sounded almost a little awe struck, accompanied by wide amber eyes.

“Yes,” he answered shortly. 

“I thought he didn’t come into the Harbor,” said the one named Xinyan to Xingqiu. 

Xiangling gave her a slight shove, “That’s rude. He clearly does if he’s standing right in front of us.” 

“Well I’m just sayin’, that’s what I’ve heard.” 

Xingqiu grinned, dripping with a charismatic confidence, “There are many stories passed around about the Conqueror of Demons. The legends really are thrilling tales, but I can speak from experience when I say I’ve seen him in the Harbor before, at our own Xingyue Kiosk, in fact…” and then he faltered, eyes widening even more. There was no longer a hopeful shine in them. “Did you need us for something, Adeptus Xiao?” Xingqiu finished, tone now unreadable. 

“Oh yeah,” Xiangling stepped in. “Is everything alright?” She sounded genuine in her words, adjusting to the prospect of an Adeptus seeking her out all too quickly. Xiao then considered that he might have heard about a young chef from Madame Ping, or was it Smiley Yanxiao? Maybe even the Traveler? He didn't think it really mattered.

“Anything you need, we’re happy to help!” Xinyan finished with a sharp grin. It was all fiery, and far too eager to help. 

It was obvious why Chongyun would have found companionship with them, even more so why he would want to keep them safe. Especially if they were as eager to throw themselves into danger as Chongyun himself. They were, by the looks of it. Xiao was still in the dark about the details of their falling out, but he knew for certain that his apprentice cared for them despite that. He could only hope that the sentiment extended both ways. 

“I am under the impression that you three know a human named Chongyun.” Xiao stated. 

He got mixed reactions. Surprise was the start of it, followed by anger, concern, confusion, more anger, maybe even something a little impressed piled onto a whole mess of other emotions. Xiao didn’t even try to pick it all apart, far too inexperienced with the intricacies of human relations to make sense of the situation. Whatever state the relationships were in, Xiao still felt he should let them be in the know, even if he excluded most of the details. 

“What’s he have to do with any Adepti business?” Xinyan asked, more than a little bitter, and equally as confused. 

“Yeah, we haven’t even seen him in-” Xiangling’s eyes widened, then she turned to her friends, “The apprenticeship that he mentioned, does it- is he..?” 

Xinyan seemed confused for a moment, mouth slightly agape as she blinked at the other girl. Then, abruptly, clarity washed over her features followed by even more confusion, “There’s no way!” She looked over at Xiao. “Is there?” 

Xiao didn’t respond to that right away, instead noting the way that Xingqiu remained silent, idly toying with a gold tassel attached to his vision. It was a stark contrast to the front he’d put on earlier. There was something to be picked apart there, especially when considering that rainy day in the Harbor. Xiao never did learn if Chongyun won that fight. 

“I am unsure of what you’re referring to,” Xiao lied easily, focusing back on the group as a whole. “Regardless, you should be aware that Chongyun was recently injured and is currently in the care of the Bubu Pharmacy.” 

There was a long, heavy silence that followed. It was accompanied by another wave of mixed emotions from the teens. They were stood still, processing, no doubt making lists of questions in their heads. He watched as Xingqiu held more tightly onto the tassel, just as unreadable as before. The other two didn’t seem to be fairing any better. But, just when Xingqiu opened his mouth, no doubt to start asking, Xiao saw Ganyu start down the stairs behind them. 

“I have to get back to my meeting with Lady Ganyu,” Xiao faltered for a moment, unsure of how to continue. “Take care... humans,” is what he settled on, lamely.

And if it was with rushed movements that he went to escape this conversation, he hoped it wasn’t obvious. Then, of course, one of them just had to say something. 

“Wait!” Xingqiu started, a little desperate. He held out a hand, as if that would be enough to stop an adeptus. “What happened?” 

“You shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of the Adepti,” Xiao said sharply. “If he wants you to know, he can tell you himself.” 

And that was that. Xiao didn’t waste any time teleporting to Ganyu’s side. 

She didn’t so much as flinch, expertly stepping in the direction opposite to the teens. “So, what was all that about?” She asked, back to her usual grace. 

“I wanted to inform Chongyun’s friends of his state,” Xiao fell into step with her. When they passed by some civilians, Xiao couldn’t help but stiffen up. “Where are we headed?” 

“My office at Yuijing Terrace,” Xiao grabbed her wrist and they were back there. A few papers blew off of their messy stacks with the puff of wind. The office was dark, lit only by a small window. Documents and scrolls were piled on every possible surface, nix the floor. There were many empty mugs on the desk as well. The only notable decoration was a framed picture of Ganyu with Lady Keqing. “Whoa- shit! I will never get used to that,” Ganyu almost bumped into her desk as she oriented herself to the space. She took a few short breaths, then stood straight. She brushed imaginary dust off of her clothes like nothing had happened. “What were you saying?” 

Xiao let go of her wrist and stepped back to lean his back against a side wall. “There’s nothing more to be said.” 

Even in the dark, he saw the affectionate way Ganyu rolled her eyes. It was a short trek for her to turn on the lights. “You really do care about him, huh?” She asked, back turned to him and the rest of the room. 

“Spare me any more teasing,” Xiao focused on a very uninteresting point of the floor. 

The half-adeptus huffed. Xiao squinted for a second when the lights flickered on. He didn’t look up to see if Ganyu had turned around. “You were worried about something like this happening the whole time.” It wasn’t a question. He wouldn’t have expected it to be.

Xiao recalled their conversation on that day that seemed to change everything. When he admitted to Ganyu that he had no idea what he was doing. When she told him not to push himself. When the first signs that he was getting worse reared their ugly head, and he ignored them. When Ganyu noticed, knowing that something was wrong, and he still ignored them. And there was a part of Xiao, the evil, selfish part that he tried every day to atone for, that wished that he’d never learned of the abuse Chongyun faced that day. Because if Xiao had never learned, he could have sent the exorcist on his way, to keep him safe from what Xiao knew what was going to happen the whole time. 

But it had been so easy, maybe even necessary to ignore that truth. Because like it or not, Chongyun had needed Xiao. It made all of this feel more inevitable. Xiao wished he knew a world where it wasn’t. 

He closed his eyes, then breathed in the stuffy office air. 

Carefully, he listened to Ganyu’s footsteps as she crossed the room. “Xiao?” 

He felt something of a damn break in his mind. Well, crack was more of an appropriate word. Still, something spilled out.

“I could have killed him.” Xiao said, with all the grace of a blunt instrument trying to tear into something. Like a weapon wielded wrong, because that’s really what Xiao was in all of this. A weapon that tried so hard to be anything but. “I would have. I wanted to, and I tried to. I wasn’t even the one who dealt the finishing blow but it wouldn’t have mattered either way. Just being around me for as long as he was would have killed him if it weren’t for some… some fucking coincidence. That’s not a risk I should have ever taken.” 

Ganyu’s footsteps came closer, this time. “You didn’t mention that it was someone else who stabbed him,” another statement. This one spoken gently, like Xiao would bolt should she act any less careful. 

He hated that it was partly true. 

“So what really happened?” Ganyu was now in front of Xiao. He wouldn’t look up to meet her eyes. 

When he didn’t respond, she reached out a gloved hand to take his. His right hand, to be specific, the one that she had seen when it was first stained black, a manifestation of the evil inside of him. 

There was once a time when Ganyu kept her distance from the other adeptus, fearful of the loss that seemed to surround him. He isn't quite sure what changed. 

The half-adeptus didn’t speak. Instead, she pulled Xiao’s hand down, prompting him to follow her as she sat crisscross on the floor. He didn’t fight it, just following her, sliding down the wall to sit against it. From the new position, it was harder to avoid her eyes. She looked exhausted. Differently than usual, that is. The dark bags under her eyes just highlighted the worry in them. Xiao honestly felt bad. She was going to lose even more sleep if she didn’t get back to work soon. 

Maybe that’s what prompted him to confess, “After our fight, Chongyun ran off.” He took a breath. “Venti came to my aid, and some time later, I heard Chongyun call out to me. He had run into some low lives,” he couldn’t keep the hatred out of his words, even if he tried. 

“In his weakened state, Chongyun wasn’t able to fight back. He was stabbed, and I came to his aid, then delivered him to Bubu Pharmacy.” 

Ganyu’s fingers tightened around his own. She stated, “And you still think it’s your fault.” 

“Yes.” 

“You’d never hurt anyone if you could help it.” 

“I can’t.” 

“You saved him.” 

“I was the reason he needed saving.” 

“How many times did you save him when that wasn’t the case?” 

“Does that matter?” 

“I’d say so.” 

Xiao tilted his head back against the wall, suddenly taking great interest in the ceiling. He’d done enough wallowing the past few days. That didn’t make it any easier to stubbornly ignore the pressure behind his eyes. 

Ganyu placed her other hand on top of their joined ones. “I know I’m not going to convince you but… I’ve known you for a long time Xiao. You’ve lost enough, it makes sense why you want to hold onto what you have. Why you protect it so much, even at your own detriment. You work so hard to fulfill your duty to Liyue. Who knows how much suffering you’ve prevented. 

“But you made an honest mistake,” Xiao squeezed her hand. She paused, sighed, then kept going. “No one can blame you for that.” 

Xiao blinked up at the ceiling again. He hated the way his breath hitched. 

“Regardless of any coincidences, Chongyun survived your fight. Had you not gone to help him when he called, he would have died.” 

Xiao wishes he could have stopped himself from saying, “I don’t know what I’m going to do if he sees it that way.” 

Ganyu just took his hand tighter in her own. “I’ll help in whatever way I can.”

Xiao’s hands were steady around his weapon as he defeated the last of the monsters with swift, efficient strikes. A familiar dance he’d done thousands of times. He'd honed his craft after all these thousands of years. Battle was something of solace for the adeptus, in a twisted sort of way. Like Xiao was meant to be there. He was synonymous with the polearm in his grasp. An old friend, a perfect pair. A weapon doing what it was made for by the hand of someone who knew how to use it. No worries of what it would hurt, or destroy. Fulfilling his duty without the consequences of connection. 

There was comfort in that. 

As the monster's body collapsed, then dissipated into the night air, Xiao felt the karma seep into his soul. Maybe five hundred years ago, the sensation would have sent a terrifying chill down his spine. Now, it was as familiar as the fight itself. 

Xiao would never admit it, not in another thousand years of existence, but maybe the karma was a comfort too. Or at least, it was something he didn’t quite feel like himself without anymore. So integrated into him that it might as well be written in the ley lines. The pain and constant fight with himself, the screams in the back of his mind, they weren’t something Xiao relished in. But it was a hum, like white noise that could put you to sleep, the room feeling too quiet and empty without it. 

It wasn’t something Xiao planned to unpack any time soon. He just looked over the area, and when he was sure that there were no more monsters, he vanished to the next spot he could sense them in. 

He was brought to a remote area directly north of Qingce Village. 

Xiao saw a hoard of monsters, dark aura surrounding them. It seemed to suck in all the light surrounding them. It only left a thick haze of darkness for Xiao to navigate.

It didn’t matter. 

He summoned his weapon, and started fighting all over again. 

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the talk of the town, Adeptus Xiao.” 

“You called?” 

“I have my reasons, Conqueror of Demons.” 

Xiao huffed, then plopped himself down at the bartop beside Venti. He would have left as soon as he arrived if the smug look on Venti’s face was any indicator that this wasn’t important, and it was. But, it was less than an hour until dawn, Xiao had done all he could in terms of fighting for the night, and the bar was empty other than the two deities, and the grumpy looking bartender. 

“A glass of your finest wine for my friend, Diluc,” Venti called out cheerfully as he raised his own half-empty glass. 

The bartender- Diluc. Xiao vaguely remembered seeing him before -grumbled something about Venti’s tab as he poured the drink, deep red liquid splashing from one container into the next. For what it was worth, he seemed oddly unbothered by the fact that someone had just teleported into his bar at this hour. Xiao had a feeling he was used to it with Venti as a regular. 

Diluc didn’t say anything when he set the glass down. Instead, he turned around, and began polishing cups that were already clean as could be. 

“I’ve told you before, I don’t like wine,” Xiao said to the bard. Regardless, he picked up the drink to examine it. 

Venti giggled, short and sincere. He seemed relaxed, one elbow leaned on the bartop, braids loose after a day's wear, and a bright, yet calm look in his eyes. He was just on the right end of tipsy, still plenty far away from being drunk. Xiao couldn’t help the pang of affection he felt, not that he would ever voice it out loud. 

“You didn’t like it that last ten times I had you try it, but that’s in the past.” It had been far more than that. “But you just have to try this batch.” 

And like always, Xiao resigned himself to taking a sip. It tasted the same as usual, meaning awful. He told Venti as much. The bard just shrugged, then reached over over to take the glass for himself. It was an old routine, another sort of comfort. Although, they were usually in a more remote location, rather than actually in a bar. “More for me then, because I think it’s a ten out of ten!” 

Xiao huffed, amused, playing his role in this game. It was a good way to avoid the elephant in the room. 

As usual, Venti topped off his glass, then delightedly started on the next. The silence was easy, breaking it was hard. Xiao did so anyway. 

“What did you need me for?” He didn’t try as hard to keep the exhaustion out of his voice. 

Venti still wore a smile, but it lessened into something a little more stained, but no less kind. “I wanted to check in, catch up. We haven’t seen each other in quite some time.” 

“I’d like to think that a week isn’t a long time for either of us,” Xiao and Venti had gone decades without seeing each other before. Whenever they saw each other, it felt like no time had passed at all. A week was but a blip in their long lives. Then again, this had felt like the longest week of Xiao’s entire extended existence. Venti had to know that.

“And yet, here I am,” Venti gestured in some grandiose way. “And how are you?” He asked like it wasn’t a loaded question. 

“Awful,” Xiao answered truthfully, slumping over on the bartop. He crossed his arms there, burning his face in them. 

“Well,” Venti took a sip of what was formerly Xiao’s wine. “That’s better than our last encounter.” 

A small, tired, self-defeating grin tugged at his lips. He craned his neck over to look at Venti, face still half buried. “That’s not saying much.” 

Venti hummed, then idly swirled the wine around. “I suppose you are right. You may speak of your woes if you’d like, but feel no need tonight.” 

“Three in a row, huh?” Venti laughed, and Xiao watched the bard with his usual, careful eyes. He remained relaxed, a steady presence at his side. He was silently grateful to have the option not to relay the whole tragedy to someone else for once. Even more so, he was happy that he didn’t have to pour his heart out again. He’d done it enough in the last few days to last a lifetime. Xiao knew that he’d tell Venti every last detail eventually. The pair always ended up at each others sides somehow. 

“I could do more, maybe even four, but that’d be a bore, and that last thing I’d want is to hear you snore,” Venti rattled off like it was nothing. He heard an annoyed grunt from Diluc across the room. He’d long since taken to wiping tables, giving Xiao and Venti the illusion of privacy. The bard, apparently, heard Diluc too. “You know you love it!” He declared. 

“I’d love for you to pay me with something different!” the bartender retorted. 

“And yet you still have me booked for a performance here next week.” 

“You’d be here anyways.” 

“And for that, you should be grateful.” 

Xiao saw the very choice gesture Diluc sent across the bar, which only spurred Venti into another fit of giggles. He waved Diluc off and leaned in towards Xiao to whisper at a volume the whole room could still hear, “He loves me, he’s just a grump.” 

“Uh-huh,” Xiao agreed with all the sarcasm in the world. 

Venti turned back and shouted across the room, “You’re making a bad impression on one of Liyue’s esteemed Adepti. Think of what it will do for your ratings!” 

Xiao tuned out their conversation from there. When he breathed in, he could smell Cuihua wood that the bartop was made from. He let himself relax, if only a little. It was, admittedly, nice to sit here and pretend that nothing was wrong, listening to foolish banter in some bar at four something in the morning. Like there wasn’t a kid recovering in the next nation over. Xiao left his ears open should he call, but resting for a moment was easier than worrying himself sick ten times over again. 

Xiao closed his eyes, and tried not to think about how there was nothing he could do. 

Too much time couldn’t have passed when Venti spoke as Xiao awoke, “I didn’t realize the Conqueror of Demons was such a sleepy head.” 

Xiao sat up slowly, blinking. It became obvious right away that he wasn’t in the bar anymore. Instead, he was on the familiar balcony of the Wangshu Inn, slumped over a table. “I don’t require sleep.” He stated, like a liar.

“Yet here you are,” Venti teased. He seemed just as relaxed as before. On the balcony railing, he sat and watched the warm light slowly paint the horizon. He was plucking a tune Xiao didn’t recognize on his lyre. “It seems humanity has rubbed off on you.” 

Xiao vanished, then reappeared at Venti’s side. “I guess your advice worked.” 

“I have been told I have a way with words,” he bragged, sending a sharp grin Xiao’s way. 

The adeptus just hummed, listening to the song. It had all the air of one of Venti’s original pieces. Something he’d taken the time to write and refine, not just an improvisation. It was hopeful, the bard’s hands dancing effortlessly on the strings. It felt like the early morning breeze was singing along. It could have been, for all Xiao knew. What he did know is that the song was beautiful, in a way only Venti’s work seemed to be. It made the adeptus feel more content than he had in a long time. 

And as if on queue, Xiao froze, a voice echoing in the back of his mind. Faint, exhausted, but still enough to make him tense up with a sharp inhale. 

Venti’s hands stopped just as quickly. He looked at Xiao, knowing. 

“What is it?” he asked all the same. 

Xiao’s heart was racing when he answered, “He’s awake.”

Chapter Text

It was unpleasantly warm, bordering on hot. This sensation was not new to Chongyun. Not by a long shot. It caused him to stir anyhow, a halfhearted search for the cooler side of the mattress or a way out from the heavy pile of blankets he was under. 

The slight shift sent a sharp spike of pain through his body starting from a point on his stomach. He resigned himself to roll onto his other side then, exhaustion still stubbornly clinging on. There was an ache in his bones reminiscent of the kind that came from days of training with no rest. Chongyun just buried his face on the pillow- still too warm for his liking, but it would have to do -and tried to let sleep take him back. 

After a few moments, he was painfully aware that his throat was oh so terribly dry. It was no use getting back to bed with that there to bother him. 

With his eyes still closed and his face in the pillow, Chongyun pulled an aching arm from under the covers and reached blindly off the side of the bed. He threw it around haphazardly in hopes of finding his prize. Surely there had to be a glass waiting for him somewhere nearby. In his search, he only found an empty table, its smooth texture muted against his finger tips. 

Chongyun grumbled and pulled his arm back under the frankly ridiculous number of blankets laid upon him. 

He was content to take his chances with sleep again when he heard something across the room. Faint, short and sharp. He wrote it off as nothing important until a voice said, “Chongyun…?” 

The exorcist just grumbled again. So much for getting back to sleep. It was probably for the better, unfortunately. It would be good to get out from under the blankets and cool down some, lest his condition rear its ugly head. 

“Yeah?” He answered, but it sounded more like a muffled grunt with the way he was still digging his face into the pillow. 

“Chongyun?” The voice asked again. It was familiar but Chongyun wasn’t quite able to place it. He heard some shuffling then, “Are you awake?” 

With all the reluctance in the world Chongyun opened his eyes and looked up. He had to squint, even against the low lamp light in the room. He grumbled out with a scratchy voice, “Yes, I am,” not quite hiding the hint of vitriol he felt.

There was a long moment without a response. Chongyun would have followed up but his words fell flat on his tongue when he forced his eyes to focus on whoever he was talking to. Dark blue hair and clothes with amber eyes. But that didn’t make sense- Chongyun blinked a few times -because that was- “Xingqiu?”

Half convinced this was an odd dream, the exorcist pushed himself to sit up despite his body’s protests. There was a terrible sharp pain from his torso once again; Chongyun wasn’t able to stop himself from wincing. He reached his hands to clutch the point of pain but was just met with the annoyingly large stack of blankets. The exorcist shifted and tried his hardest to breathe through the pain until it became more manageable. 

He was so distracted by that that he didn’t notice that Xingqiu had stood from his stool near the bedside and walked over. “Archons, are you okay? Wait no, um…” 

Chongyun could only blink at his once friend. There were a million questions racing through his mind, the first being why are you here? The second being why am I here? Chongyun asked neither. He was caught off guard by Xingqiu’s demeanor. The exorcist was certain that he had never seen him unsure of his words in his entire time knowing him. He always spoke with such confidence and grace, perhaps too much at times. Now he seemed uneasy, hovering awkwardly by the bedside, amber eyes looking for answers. 

Suffice to say, Chongyun didn’t have any for him. He could only stare back as his tired mind struggled to stay caught up with the situation. 

Xingqiu opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again to say, “I’ll go get Dr. Baizhu.” 

He was out the door before Chongyun could think of anything to say. 

The first thing he thought was that he regretted not asking Xingqiu to get him a glass of water. Then the words settled in his sluggish mind. He examined the room more thoroughly. One wall was lined with drawers, all meticulously labeled as different herbs and medicines. There was a table in the corner with some papers strewn about it. To his left was a table where his Vision was placed neatly next to stacks of packaged prescriptions. To his right, there was a screen as well as windows. The light that shone through them was very faint, a sign that the wee small hours were coming to a close to make way for a new day. This was undeniably the back room of the Bubu Pharmacy, and he was undeniably hurt. 

Chongyun rubbed a hand over his face and took a breath. He supposed that there was only one real way to find out what had happened. He looked down at the endless blankets that were thrown over his body and went to push them off. 

He hesitated for a moment; he wasn’t entirely sure why. 

He was dressed in a light cotton shirt with pants to match. Chongyun lifted the shirt to inspect his injury. There wasn’t much to see, just stark white bandages wrapped around his middle, right where he knew that scar from the Geovishap to be. He chucked something self defeating to the empty room. If he could just get his hands on another one of those healing potions and he’d be out of here in no time. Rationally he knew that the idea was idiotic at best, but when were his ideas not?  

That reminded him- 

That line of thought was quickly cut off by the sound of the door opening. Chongyun’s eyes darted over, but he was still too busy trying to wrap his head around everything to truly be alert. 

Dr. Baizhu walked in with Qiqi in tow, a professional smile on his face, “ah, Chongyun, it’s good to see you awake. Hopefully the stitches aren’t bothering you; they should be out soon. Your energy was too drained for me to heal everything at once so I took a more prolonged approach.” 

“Oh um… No, they’re… It’s fine,” Chongyun struggled out, his voice rough from disuse. 

He watched as Qiqi came up to the bedside with a tray in her hands. She set it down on the mattress carefully and with mechanical movements, she picked up a teapot from the tray and poured its steaming contents into a cup. “To make it hurt less,” she said in her cold neutral voice as she offered the cup to him. 

Chongyun looked at her for a long moment as he processed the offer. It was long enough for Baizhu to pull up a stool on the opposite side of the bed, “it’s just some herbal tea, nothing too extreme. Unless you think you need stronger pain relief?” 

The teen glanced over at the doctor then looked back to Qiqi who had not moved a muscle. Chongyun wasn’t even sure if she blinked. “No, no. This should be fine, thank you,” finally he took the cup from her hands. It was a force of habit for him to be tentative of the hot liquid. But things as simple as hot foods hadn’t been an issue in some time. Chongyun tried not to think about it too much as he took a small sip of the bitter tea. “Where’s Xingqiu?” He asked, noting the absence of his former friend. 

“I’m having him wait outside while I do a routine check up,” Baizhu began to explain. “You’ve been unconscious for quite some time- seven days to be precise. You gave your friends quite a scare, I’ll say. I want to get a gauge of your current condition so we can figure out how to proceed. So tell me, how are you feeling Chongyun?” 

And that was… A lot to take in, as if this situation wasn’t already enough. Chongyun’s mind was hazy enough, now he had to consider the implications of being unconscious for a whole week. He took another sip of his tea and looked blankly towards the end of the mattress. Chongyun took a deep breath. “I feel exhausted and… I'm a little confused.” 

“Why is that?” Baizhu leaned in and asked. The exorcist could feel his calculating eyes bore into the side of his head.

Chongyun idly fiddled with his hands in his lap, tracing the scars there. He hesitated before asking, “What exactly happened to me?”  

It was subtle, but Chongyun noticed the small sigh that Baizhu let out. “How about you tell me what you can remember first.” 

It was in essence a simple request, but Chongyun was all out of sorts right now. He reached up a hand to rub against his forehead as if that would dissipate his disorientation. It was obvious already that his hair was days overdue for a wash, not to mention that his bangs were getting far too long. His eyes stayed down, scanning the mattress he was sat upon as if it could provide answers. “I was at Yilong Wharf with Hu Tao- I had been training before that,” Chongyun chose to leave out the details of the ‘training’ if only for his own sake. “And then I went back to the Wangshu Inn with Xiao and-” the exorcist cut his recount short with a gasp. 

He was stuck frozen for a long moment. Suddenly the blankets didn’t even feel like enough to keep him warm.

It was hazy, but Chongyun remembered challenging Xiao to spar after all the awful things he’d said. He remembered that uncanny darkness that surrounded Xiao and the terror it brought. He was fighting for his life and he nearly lost, but he’d been granted mercy at the very last moment. He remembered the cold, and the rain, and the unending panic he felt as he ran away. Chongyun could recall pain and exhaustion, the sensation of a blade being plunged cruelly into his stomach and the agony that followed when it was pulled out. And then pain. Red hot pain that he could go a lifetime without feeling again and it still be too soon. Then there was nothing, and now he was here.

“Xiao he… I almost…” He trailed off. If his mind was struggling to keep up before, it was miles away now, lost in that moment a week ago when things could have ended, but miraculously he didn’t. “How did I end up here?” 

It would have been funny under vastly different circumstances, the way that Xiao appeared in the room as soon as the words left Chonguyn’s mouth. 

There was a tense moment that could have lasted a lifetime. Xiao’s bright eyes just as Chongyun remembered them staring across the room. He looked awkward and out of place. Small, normal, and deceptively human. 

“Chongyun,” he said, hardly above a whisper. He took a step forward, the action jerky and awkward. At the same time, he reached out a gloved hand in an aborted movement. His expression was unreadable but serious, a whole mix of emotions caught in the tension that hung in the air. Without realizing, Chongyun had tensed up, half expecting the terror that had been following Xiao to set in. He was in no state to do anything about it. 

Upon further examination, the feeling wasn’t there. There was no dark aura surrounding the adeptus. No daunting evil presence. No hate, or fear, or malice. Just Xiao. If anything, there was something indescribably lighter about him. He was still tense and stood frozen in place before Chongyun.

The relief Chongyun felt came flooding in in an instant. He let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and he relaxed his tense shoulders. There was this ache he felt, to stand on his pained limbs, cross the room, and hug Xiao just to make sure that it really was him. To just bask in the knowledge that he was okay.  

That’s when the exorcist noticed something amiss. 

He sucked in a sharp breath when he saw the darkness that stained Xiao’s arm. It was etched into his skin, the once green markings now black. Tendrils of that darkness reached up towards his neck, like ink spilled on his skin that could never be cleaned. A stain, or maybe just a physical manifestation of the plight Xiao had been facing for years. It made Chongyun’s heart rate spike and he was tense all over again. Whether that was out of self preservation of concern for the adeptus he wasn’t sure. Perhaps it was a mix of both. The only reason Chongyun was able to remain relatively calm was because in stark contrast to that darkness, there was still that familiar uncanny light in Xiao’s eyes. They were almost glowing in the dim light of the room.

“I hate to ruin this reunion, Adeptus Xiao,” Baizhu cut in. Chongyun flinched at the suddenness of it. “But I need to finish checking up on my patient. If you would be so kind as to exit the room for the time being.” 

Xiao blinked then looked back and forth between Chongyun and Baizhu. His feet were planted firmly on the ground, seemingly stuck in the middle of the room. There was a long pause, but eventually Xiao resigned with a simple grunt. He gave Chongyun one last worried glance before he turned on his heel and exited. 

The exorcist could feel all the words left unsaid as they sat heavy in the air. Or maybe that was just the erratic beat of his heart. He didn’t feel equipped to unpack his anxieties right now. He wasn’t sure if he could ever feel ready for that. 

Chongyun had lifetimes of experience rushing head first towards his fears regardless of his preparation. He supposed now, like always, the only way out was through. 

“Well, all things considered, you seem to be recovering just fine Chongyun. Unless there are any complications, I will release you from my care tomorrow morning,” Baizhu said with a pleasant grin. 

Chongyun was only half paying attention. He was more focused on shifting uncomfortably, trying to find a way to sit back against the pillows and not irritate the freshly redressed wound on his back. Maybe he ought to ask for more of that tea. Then, Baizhu’s words sunk in. The exorcist paused his shuffling to look at him and ask, “Is there a reason you need me to say until then?” 

Something in Baizhu's eyes flickered. He folded his hands in his lap and his grin morphed into a more solemn expression. “I take it you’re aware of Xiao’s condition when it comes to Karmic Debt?” Chongyun nodded. If his heart beat had slowed at all, it started to pick right back up again. “As it comes from the remains of evil gods, it can be extremely dangerous to humans if they are exposed to it. While you have shown no signs of it impacting you, due to the nature of… Xiao’s flare up, I’d like to keep you for observation just to be on the safe side.” 

Chongyun didn’t know what to say to that so he remained silent for a long, drawn out moment. 

The revelation that Baizhu laid out so plainly answered many questions but also raised a thousand more. Had he been in danger from the first moment he approached Xiao? What would have happened if the karmic debt did reach him? Had something like this been inevitable? Would knowing that have changed anything? 

Easily, Chongyun could have sat there and mulled it over forever, going over every possibility, trying to piece together everything he didn’t know until it became a shape that made sense. But he didn’t. He just took a breath and idly clenched the edges of the now singular blanket he sat under. 

“I understand. I will tell you if anything feels off, Dr. Baizhu.” 

If the doctor reacted to that in any particular way, Chongyun didn’t know. His eyes were looking at the wall across the room, hoping foolishly for some kind of solace in this. 

He heard the shuffling of fabric and the legs of a stool being scooted back. “Well, I best help Qiqi prepare for her deliveries for today. Do let me know if there’s anything you need. I will be checking in on you this afternoon,” Baizhu took the tray that had been left on the edge of the mattress earlier and made for the exit. He paused just as he was about to open the door, “would you like me to allow your guests back in? If the answer is no, I have no problem dismissing them.” 

For a long moment Chongyun mulled it over. He was exhausted which frankly felt ridiculous after how long he’d been out for. All that wasted time where he could have been doing… Well something. Anything, really. Training, studying evil spirits, trying to exorcise said spirits, finally getting his condition which was the cause for this whole mess under control. Yet he was compelled to indulge in his exhaustion. To pull the covers over his body, fall back asleep, and waste even more of his time. 

Perhaps the pursuit of improvement stopped mattering to Chongyun a while ago. Maybe it was the only thing that still mattered. 

Ultimately, he wasn’t sure why he nodded at Baizhu. 

The doctor nodded back before he made his lead. Chongyun listened to the muffled exchange of words on the other side of the door. He was hardly aware of the way that he held his breath in anticipation. Not until a figure stepped through the doorway and he had to take a quick gasp for air. It made the wound in his stomach ache. 

This time, not through bleary eyes, Chongyun saw Xingqiu. He stood awkwardly, barely two steps into the space. He was tense, more tense than Chongyun thought him capable of. He was always so self assured, almost painfully so. Or at least that’s the persona he put on, tailored and perfected like the words of a novel. He had the charisma to match. He was charming, talkative, funny, with all the arrogance of a protagonist. But Chongyun was one of the few people who got to see the cracks in the persona and really look at the person beneath. 

That Xingqiu was a dork. And he was a little self-centered, maybe a little entitled too. But when all was said and done, he was kind. Everything he did was in the pursuit of doing good. Chongyun knew this well, it was why he was so proud to call Xingqiu his friend. 

And then that changed, and now they’re here.

 The tension in the air was palpable after just a few moments. Chongyun hadn’t a clue what to say, and his sluggish over rested mind was no help. Xingqiu looked just as lost. His expression was carefully blank, but Chongyun knew him well enough to see the uncertainty in his amber eyes. 

Chongyun wanted to ask, why are you here? I thought you were over this. The underlying ‘us’ wasn’t something he even dared to think. 

Before he could say anything, Xingqiu let a strained grin tug on his lips. Vaguely, he gestured to the exorcist and said without his usual flowery flare, “Training, huh?” 

For a long moment Chongyun just looked at him blankly, his tired mind struggling to stay caught up with the conversation. In that time, Xingqiu faltered and the strained grin became even more forced. A defense mechanism first and foremost. The persona of chivalry his saving grace, as always. 

But then, despite everything, Chongyun started to laugh. At first it was a small chuckle, something that sounded more like a shaky sigh. But then it became a giggle that he tried uselessly to muffle with the back of his hand, and then it was a full blown laugh. It only served to make the wounds on his stomach and back hurt more, but he couldn’t help it. He threw his head back as his laughter continued, and part way through he heard Xingqiu join in. 

“Oh- ow -I’m sorry. I am! I just-” Chongyun cut himself off with another string of snickers. He took a breath and regained just enough composure to say, “Oh, you have no fucking idea!” 

Xingqiu didn’t have nearly as hard of a time regaining his composure, but a mischievous grin still tugged on his lips. He was just a little breathless when he said, “Well, would you care to enlighten me so that I may have… Some ‘fucking idea’?” He joked. 

 Eventually Chongyun’s laughs trailed off. His injuries burned just enough not to be ignored, but he tried to do just that anyway. Once again, he met Xinqiu’s eyes. He was still tentative hovering on the other side of the room like he was trying to give a wounded animal an opening should it want to escape. Maybe he was just as scared that he’d get himself hurt should the animal decide to attack.

Chongyun couldn’t very well run away or attack in his current condition. Instead he just said, “Would you even care to listen?” He almost felt bad because of the bitterness in his tone. Any humor Chongyun felt before was now for naught. All he could think about was their last interaction, the day when everything seemed to change. He gripped the edges of the covers until he felt tiny pinpricks in his hands then added, “Why are you here Xingqiu? Honestly? Because I am not in the mood for an argument right now.” 

The other boy blinked with wide eyes. He tensed up, ready to turn on his heel and run out of the room. Chongyun watched as he had some kind of mental battle, chivalry versus cowardice. It lasted a long time, and through it all the exorcist just focused on breathing through the pain. 

Xingqiu came to some kind of conclusion and took a step forward even though he looked no less scared. “I heard you got hurt and- Well you see I- um… I just…” He reached up a hand to rub the back of his neck. He didn’t meet Chongyun’s eyes when he said, “I’ve been thinking since the last time we… we spoke. I know we aren’t on good terms, and I’d be remiss to say I’m not still mad. But when I realized how severely you were injured, I thought… Well I thought about what was really important and…” 

Chongyun didn’t know what to say. Luckily enough for him, Xingqiu continued. 

“I don't know what happened,” he began pacing in front of the bed. He never looked over at Chongyun. “Nobody has been keen to share any of the details, but I can only assume that with your tireless pursuit of training got you into some kind of trouble. The kind that some people don’t come back from. And I just got to thinking, “that idiot, this is what got me mad in the first place. This is what I was worried about.” And lo and behold, I was right. Just like all the stories about a reckless hero getting into the worst kind of trouble because they’re too stubborn to listen to reason.

“But then I remembered what you said, about me never listening to you- maybe I’m the idiot, who knows-” He started gesturing wildly with his hands, like he always would when he was going on a tangent. Chongyun felt a pang of fondness in his chest and gripped the covers impossibly tighter. Xingqiu just kept on talking. “I just couldn’t wrap my head around why you would have acted so foolishly in all of this. More so than you usually do, that is. This was laced with some kind of desperation. Something was inherently different, and I didn’t know what. I realized I probably didn’t know because I really hadn’t been listening to you. Then admittedly, I got scared. Scared that I would never have the chance to listen to you if things were really as serious as they seemed.” 

Xingqiu finally ceased his pacing and took a long, steadying breath. Chongyun remembered when he told him about how much of a difference it could make. It seemed the advice had stuck despite it all. “So I came here because,” he met Chongyun’s icy blue eyes with his own amber ones, “I didn’t want it to be too late for me to say I’m sorry. And if you’d be willing to share, I’d like to listen now. It shouldn’t have taken this long.”

Chongyun took a long and necessary moment to take all of that in. He was still angry, more than he thought he was capable after everything that had happened. He had bigger problems now, but this was still his best friend. Chongyun wasn’t even sure that had ever changed. He wasn’t sure it ever would. That’s what made everything harder. 

He somehow managed to release the deathgrip he had on the covers, “Okay,” was all he managed to say. “Where do you want me to start?” 

Something in Xingqiu’s eyes, the worry that was there before, was replaced with hope. There was this spark that Chongyun hadn’t realized he’d missed so much until it was right in front of him. 

The bookworm shuffled over to take the seat Dr. Baizhu had been in before. He leaned in intently, “Well, your apprenticeship, with the Conqueror of Demons if I’m not mistaken-  I simply need to know how that started but later, I’m getting ahead of myself,” Chongyun couldn’t help but wonder what Xiao was up to. It sent a pang of anxiety down his spine. There wasn’t much time to consider that as Xingqiu continued, “Why did you need to start it in the first place? You mentioned that your parents forced you to cease your duties as an exorcist because of your pure yang spirit? But why did you go the extra mile this time?” 

The reactionary answer Chongyun wanted to give was, because how could I not find a way to keep doing what I love? Then the thought, because I needed to finally get a handle on my condition. Then what he’d told Xiao, I need to be good enough. But that wasn’t right. Maybe, I just wanted to be able to protect everyone- to protect you. That was the end goal, it always would be, but it wasn’t the real reason Chongyun sought out Xiao. Why he’d turned his whole life on his head and left even when all he could do was look back on what he’d tried so desperately to leave behind. 

He thought he finally knew the answer. He just hadn’t allowed himself to realize it before. Maybe he never would have if things hadn’t played out the way that they did. Chongyun took his turn not to look Xingqiu in the eye. “I needed to save myself. I think I was always looking for a reason to do that.” 

Xingqiu’s excitement at the prospect of a thrilling tale was stamped out. He slumped in his seat, and blinked with his head tilted in confusion, “What do you mean by that?” 

“My mother was abusing me,” Chongyun said with more ease than he ever thought he’d be able to. It still didn’t feel entirely like the truth. “She had been my entire life.” 

It was like a bomb had gone off, or maybe it was just Chongyun’s heart beating so hard it felt like ringing in his ears. He chanced a look at Xingqiu’s face, and it certainly looked like he’d just seen the worst end of a battle. He was tense, pale, his mouth slightly agape, disbelief flooding his features in every which way. “What?” Was all he said. 

“I didn’t even realize it was happening,” Chongyun admitted. He started fiddling with his hands again. “My father wasn’t great either, but my mother… She was the one who made it physical. Xiao- er, The Conqueror of Demons as you know him -was the one who got me out, who made me realize that what had been happening was wrong. But that was only after I’d been training under him for some time.” 

“And you never said anything,” it was more of a statement than a question. Xingqiu looked like he was reconsidering everything he ever knew. Chongyun could relate. 

“I never thought there was anything to say.” After that there was a long silence. It was so far from the most important part of the story. Most certainly it was the last thing Xingqiu wanted to hear. There was still so much more Chongyun had to say, “Looking back, I don’t think that it justified how I treated you and the others.” 

Whatever trance Xingqiu was in was broken by that. He sat up abruptly and rushed to say, “What? But you were-” 

“Hurt? Yeah, I know. I never should have hurt you though. I should have at least told you guys what I was doing instead of just running off to train. I should have never cut anyone off like I did, even if I really did need a clean break. You all were never the source of the problem.” 

Xingqiu reached out and placed a hand on the mattress. An attempt at getting closer, but still too afraid to take it too far. He said in a clear, quiet voice, “I certainly didn’t make you feel welcome whenever you came back.” 

Chongyun sighed, “No, you didn’t.”

“You need to apologize to Xiangling and Xinyan,” Xingqiu said honestly. 

“I know,” Chongyun traced the scars along his knuckles. The  tissue there had built up so much over the years. “I’m sorry to you too, y’know.” 

“We can be as sorry as we want to each other- we both have reason to be,” Xingqiu shifted then. He reached and pulled something out of his pocket. In his hand was a small blue and white tassel with gold embellishments that had seriously seen better days. It was scratched and stained, and the strings were in tangles, but it was just as Chongyun remembered it. “I just want my best friend back.” 

Chongyun felt a small smile creep onto his face. He said amused, “You and those tassels…” 

“They’re symbolic of our friendship!” Xingqiu protested. “You cannot tell me that they mean nothing to you.” 

“They do,” that earned the exorcist a look. “What? They do! Sorry I threw it away, you can’t exactly blame me considering how you were acting.” 

Xingqiu rolled his eyes but there was no real malice to it. He drawled sarcastically “I loathe to admit that you’re right, but here I am doing that.” 

“First time for everything,” Chongyun joked as he took the tassel from his friend’s hand. 

Maybe it wasn’t entirely a joke, what with the more somber look Xingqiu wore when he said, “I really have missed you, y’know? Now that I have you back, I just want to promise you that I’ll be a better friend.” 

The exorcist squeezed the tassel tightly. It felt right being back in his possession, like a piece he hadn’t even realized he was missing. “I promise too, and I will try not to be as self-destructive from here on out. I never wanted to worry you, honest.” 

“Speaking of,” and just like that, the spark that came from a good story was back in Xingqiu’s eyes. “How did you get hurt, exactly? No, no let me back up. Why in the name of The Seven did you decide that fighting a Primo Geovishap alone was a good idea for training?!” 

And yeah okay, Chongyun would admit that it looked bad out of context, “Xiao told me that I had to if I wanted him to train me.” Okay, maybe in context it didn’t sound all that great either. 

Xingqiu’s jaw dropped. “He did what!” 

“I know, I know, okay,” Xingqiu looked ready to get out there and fight the adeptus himself. “It was a bad call, even I can admit that. What? I can! But in his defense, I don’t think he realized how fragile humans can be. He’s very reclusive and fights evil gods every day. Plus, I’m fine now. He’s actually extremely kind when you get to know him.” 

Xingqiu crossed his arms and squinted his eyes, still far from convinced, “What other ‘training,’ did he have you do?”

A valid question, even if the answer was ridiculous. 

“Well, a lot of stuff,” Chongyun began, “He had me using a stick as a weapon, which was more effective than you think. There was agility training, he taught me to use a polearm along with Shenhe. There was checkers, tag-sorta- capture the flag-” 

“Pardon?” 

“Yeah, capture the flag, with Lady Ganyu and the Anemo Archon.” 

“You’re making that up,” Xingqiu accused. 

“I swear I’m not.”  

“There’s no way” Xingqiu ran a hand through his bangs, “How is that even possible?” 

Chongyun shrugged, “I guess when you’re an adeptus you just know people?” 

“What’s next? Tea with the Taritsa? Workouts with the Heavenly Principals? Maybe Morax wants to go rock climbing,” There was clear amusement in Xingqiu’s words. He laughed, still a little affronted, “I can’t believe you’ve done so much. I mean… How much stronger are you now? We need to spar again some time. I would love to see what you’re able to do.” 

It was so easy to fall back into conversation with Xingqiu like nothing had ever changed. Twenty minutes ago and he would have never even thought this possible. For what it’s worth after everything, he could admit that he needed this more than he realized. This weight off of his chest and a taste of familiarity. He knew in the back of his mind that things were different. Maybe that was for the better. Maybe the change is what he needed. 

“I think I’ll be out of commission for some time still,” Chongyun admitted, still distantly aware of his injuries and the way that had yet to stop hurting. 

Xingqiu hummed and looked Chongyun over. “Yes, I suppose I would be at an unfair advantage, but soon,” he shot up then, seeming to remember something. “Now I will finally ask, how exactly were you hurt this time around? I know training can be dangerous, but this is… It feels like a whole new level. Did someone attack you?” 

And that was exactly what Chongyun had been trying to avoid thinking about. He wasn’t even sure how he was supposed to feel, let alone how he actually did. Because Xiao did hurt him, but he’d saved him too. The adeptus was out of his right mind, but did that change anything? Was he even back to normal now? Was there damage that could not be undone? And what did that mean for Chongyun? A simple explanation to Xingqiu wouldn’t be able to fix his problem, but maybe it would just be nice to get it off his chest. 

Then just like that, Hu Tao came bursting through the door into the small room. She looked a mess, her hair haphazardly pulled into a ponytail instead of her usual pigtails, and she appeared to have thrown on the first clothes she’d seen after rolling out of bed. Those items being rumpled black slacks and an oversized overcoat that was half done up and hanging off her shoulder. 

That didn’t deter her from rushing across the room to envelop Chongyun in a bone crushing hug that did the gashes on his back no favors. She had to bend at an awkward angle to get her arms wrapped around him, but that did little to deter her. “You are so lucky that I didn’t have to plan your funeral.” She said with more earnestness than Chongyun had ever heard from her. 

Chongyun couldn’t help but hug back. Hu Tao was warm, grounding, familiar, and maybe he needed that more than he realized. 

He stayed wrapped in her embrace for a long time. Hu Tao seemed determined not to let go. It seemed that she took people’s survival just as seriously as she took death. Maybe she just knew that it wasn’t Chongyun’s time. Maybe she knew that he didn’t want her to let go. 

He did catch a glance at Xingqiu over Hu Tao’s shoulder. He smiled and mouthed, “later?” 

Chongyun just nodded. 

Even after everything he somehow knew that things were going to be okay, even if there was an adeptus waiting outside the door who changed his entire life for the better. Even if he didn’t know how they were going to pan out from here. Even if he didn’t know whether or not things could get worse.